Harry Potter & The Visitors From The Dead
by Shouta Izukai
Summary: Toshiro and Shouta are forced onto a mission as undercover spies in Hogwarts. Originally staying for only a year, things take a turn for the worse when villains ally and a student goes looking for revenge. Now staying at Hogwarts until further notice, they have no idea what to expect. Starts in the 2nd year.
1. Letters From Hogwarts

**This is my 1st crossover, so be nice! Instructive criticism is greatly appreciated. If you're curious about my OC Shouta's relationship with Shiro-chan, I'll be posting a story soon explaining their past, etc. So I'm sorry if you're confused. **

**And I do NOT own Bleach and/or Harry Potter, etc. etc. etc.**

* * *

"HITSUGAYA!" Screeched the boy as he burst into the room. Panting, Izukai Shouta stumbled to the desk of the 10th Division Captain, setting down the papers in his hand, before collapsing onto the couch. He ran a hand through his unkempt brown hair, closing his emerald green eyes.

"I'm guessing this letter's important?" Hitsugaya Toshiro asked, raising an eyebrow. The boy just nodded. Sighing, the snowy-haired Captain set down the paperwork he was currently working on before grabbing the papers. As he read over the document, the room steadily got colder and colder, his hands gripping the paper tighter and tighter. Throwing the papers into the trash, he looked up at Shouta with his infamous death glare. "What is the meaning of this, Izukai?" The room's temperature plummeted several degrees, and frost started to form in the room.

"Hey, hey. Don't look at me. I may be a former murderer, but I'm definitely not stupid enough to pull a prank on you. Only Matsumoto would do that. Besides, it's an order directly from the Head Captain himself. His Lieutenant's the one who gave me the letter, before telling me to go around collecting signatures from all Captains and Lieutenants." The temperature became slightly warmer, and the frost melted, though there was still a slight breeze. Sighing, Hitsugaya sat back down, rubbing his temples.

"CAPTAIN!" Shouted an all-too-familiar voice a moment later. 2 seconds after, Lieutenant Matsumoto Rangiku burst into the room, not pausing for a moment as she raced to her Captain, sweeping him up into a death hug. "I can't believe you're leaving for a year! I'll miss you so much!" She squealed, twirling around while suffocating her Captain.

"Matsumoto! Put him down before he suffocates!" Shouta called, laughing as she released the Captain from her grip. It took a few seconds for Hitsugaya to catch his breath, before he glared up at his Lieutenant. He was walking back to his desk when he found an odd envelope on top of the desk. He looked at it curiously, before opening the letter.

_HOGWARTS SCHOOL __of __WITCHCRAFT __and __WIZARDRY_

_Headmaster: ALBUS DUMBLEDORE_

_(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock,_

_Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizar__ds)_

_Dear Toshiro Hitsugaya,_

_We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at__Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry__. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment._

_Term begins on September 1. We await your owl by no later than July 31._

_Yours sincerely,_

_Minerva McGonagall_

The Captain stared at the letter for a moment longer, before immediately glaring up at Rangiku. "Matsumoto…" He growled, his voice icy.

"It wasn't me this time! Honest!" She whined, waving her hands up in front of her.

"It's true." Shouta agreed, holding up a similar letter of his own. "I got this while I was getting a signature from Ukitake." Hitsugaya glared at his lieutenant a moment longer, before sighing and sitting at his desk.

"Might as well finish this while I can." He muttered, grabbing another paper off of the 'unfinished' pile.

* * *

At some point, Rangiku disappeared, saying she had to do something. For once, Hitsugaya ignored it. 'He must be _really_ annoyed, if he ignores even Matsumoto.' Shouta mused, deciding he might as well give himself something to do and try finishing the Lieutenant's paperwork.

A couple hours later, Hitsugaya sighed and reluctantly stood up. He grabbed Hyorinmaru and headed for the door. Right before he left, he turned to the brunette seated at the couch. "If you got one of those letters, you should come as well, Izukai." Glancing up, the boy nodded, before standing up as well.

The 2 of them flash stepped to the 12th Division labs, both silently dreading their arrival. They arrived at the strange lab, where they were greeted by the creepy face of Kurotsuchi Mayuri. "Welcome you two. I assume you're here for your mission?" He asked, smiling in a sickeningly way. They both hesitantly nodded. "Great! Then follow me!" He dragged them through the room into a secluded corner, where, laying on a surgical table, were 2 gigais. Both were wearing casual clothes, most likely provided by Rangiku.

"You'll find that these gigais are much more comfortable and much, much stronger, seeing as you'll be in them for an entire year, if not longer. They've also been adjusted to suit that of a 2nd year." Mayuri explained, watching as Shouta climbed into his gigai.

"You're right. It feels great." Shouta said in surprise, walking around and doing a couple cartwheels. He then glanced at Hitsugaya's gigai in confusion. "Why is Hitsugaya's so tall?"

"Like I said, the gigais have been adjusted to suit that of a 2nd year. Don't worry, once you'll get in it, you'll be fine. Might feel a bit of a stretch though." Hitsugaya eyed the man warily as he climbed into his gigai.

Right after, there was a painful-sounding snap, where afterwards the snowy-haired captain shouted out in pain. Mayuri grinned gleefully at the now tall Captain Hitsugaya Toshiro, his face scrunched in pain. "What the hell just happened?" Shouta asked, confused.

"You'll be sore for a couple days, but the effects will wear off soon." Mayuri continued, ignoring the brunette's question. Hitsugaya, stunned, slowly looked at his lean, muscular build in the mirror that had appeared mysteriously just moments ago. "Also, you'll still be able to use your zanpaktou and kido in this gigai, and both will be visible to humans, wizards and the like. So, I have created a way to hide your zanpaktou so you can carry it wherever. And lastly, you'll be under the guise as transfer students from Japan, so you'll need to know all spells and other information concerning Japanese Wizards and a few other such things. So if you'll stay still while I put this information in you…" Mayuri grinned evilly, holding up a needle as long as Hitsugaya used to be, a sickening green liquid dripping from the tip.

Both Captain and Izukai heir raced from the room, only to be stopped by Kenpachi and Unohana. "Sorry, but we were ordered to hold you down." Unohana said, smiling her 'evil smile'. And the screams from the 12th Division that became the start of the rumor about Captain Kurotsuchi were once again heard throughout the Seireitei.

* * *

"_Look, isn't that the heir to the Izukai family?"_

"_You mean that prestigious family? The one with relations to the Soul King?"_

"_Yes, but they're also famous in the world of the living too. I heard they've got enough money to rival the king of England."_

"_But isn't the heir also the one who got arrested as Green, that international serial killer? They say he was released for self-defense."_

"_Really? Scary."_

"Izukai! Izukai!" A distant voice shouted. Shouta opened his eyes, his eyes slowly coming into focus. "Izukai! Wake up! We have to get going!"

"Hitsugaya? What…?" He muttered, sitting up. His head throbbed painfully as he looked around, realizing he was back in the 10th Division office.

"You passed out after Kurotsuchi almost killed you with that needle. Matsumoto's already packed for us, we have to get going." Hitsugaya explained, helping his friend up. Shouta blinked, looking at the snowy-haired Captain in surprise.

"When'd you get so tall?" Hitsugaya looked at him in an expression saying, _really?_ "Oh. Right."

A few minutes later, the 2 of them stood in front of the Senkaimon along with the Head Captain, Captain Kurotsuchi, and Lieutenant Matsumoto. "Remember, no one can know of your true identity. Not even the Headmaster." Both boys nodded. "Well then, good luck to you both. And remember, watch out for dementors as well as... that man."

"Is that all?" Yamamoto nodded.

"And remember, Captain Hitsugaya, every time you get back in your gigai, you'll feel that same pain." Mayuri warned, though he looked more like he'd enjoy it.

"We know, we know." Shouta muttered. "See ya Matsumoto. Old man. Clown face." And with that, both Shouta and Hitsugaya stepped through the Senkaimon before either the Head Captain or Kurotsuchi could yell at Shouta for his use of rude nicknames.

* * *

**I know I didn't give anything about their mission, but right now I'm still working on the details. So I made it all dramatic and mysterious. Also, if you want a clue about Shouta's past etc. go to Fictionpress, and search for With These Wax Wings I'll Fly by Shouta Izukai. The mission details will be revealed soon enough. :)**


	2. Diagon Alley

"Welcome to England, Hitsugaya. Man, I haven't been here since I was alive." Shouta muttered, looking around. "So where are we supposed to go?" He asked, looking at the boy beside him.

"We need to get a room at the Leaky Cauldron. After that, we need to go to a place called Diagon Alley to get school supplies. September 1st is in a week, so we best be getting our things today." Hitsugaya replied, pulling a folded piece of paper out of his pocket. The 2 of them trudged out of the alley they had arrived in, people almost immediately pointing at the 2 of them.

"You should really dye that hair of yours. It makes us stand out." Shouta muttered, glaring at a group of schoolgirls whispering and glancing at them. Immediately, the group squealed and ran off.

"You stand out as much as I do. You garner attention wherever you go with those looks. Do you know how much trouble the women in my squad make when it comes to you?" Hitsugaya snapped back angrily, stopping a cab as it drove by. "Now come on. We don't have any time to waste."

"Yes, your highness." Shouta grumbled sarcastically, rolling his eyes.

"Speak for yourself." Hitsugaya grumbled back. The brunette ignored it.

The two of them were silent as the cab sped through London traffic, stopping on Charing Cross Road. "Thanks," the Captain murmured, handing the cab driver his money as he and Shouta stepped out. The cab drove off, and both boys trudged along, dragging their trunks behind them. It wasn't hard to find the Leaky Cauldron. It stood out from the rest of the buildings, looking old and shabby.

"You sure this is it?" Shouta muttered, raising an eyebrow in disbelief. Hitsugaya nodded, and opened the door. Both boys stepped inside, and the room fell silent as the other customers watched the boys warily. "Is someone named Tom here?" Shouta called, sighing inwardly at the attention the 2 garnered.

"Do you need something?" Asked an old man from behind a bar. He seemed unfazed by his strange customers, though Shouta and Hitsugaya could see his reiatsu fluctuating nervously.

Hitsugaya nodded. "We're transfer students. We need a room for 2." The man nodded, leading them up the stairs. He stopped at room 12 and handed Hitsugaya a key.

"This is your room. I'm assuming you'll also be going to Diagon Alley?" The snowy-haired boy nodded. He opened the door using the key, and quickly dropped his trunk onto a bed, Shouta following suit. They silently followed Tom back down the stairs and out to the back. They stopped in front of a brick wall, where Tom tapped several (seemingly random) bricks with his wand. It startled Hitsugaya and Shouta as the bricks parted to reveal Diagon Alley. The place was bustling with wizards and witches in cloaks of all colors, strange shops crowding the streets.

"Wow." Muttered the brunette, as he and the Captain stepped slowly into the street. They earned quite a few stares, but both boys ignored it. "So where to first?"

"We need to go to Gringotts Wizarding Bank to get some money. The Head Captain never gave me a vault number or key, so I'm going to assume your family has relations here too?" Hitsugaya raised an eyebrow at the brunette, who just shrugged.

"I was never told about it. Though that might be what my dad used to talk about sometimes. Mentioned a vault 121." Hitsugaya rolled his eyes, and they both headed towards the white marble building nearby.

They eyed the goblins warily as they walked up to the front desk. "I wish to make a withdrawal." Shouta said firmly, once the goblin at the desk looked at them.

"And do you have your key?" Shouta glanced at Hitsugaya nervously before taking the black ring off his right index finger.

"Will this work?" he asked, setting the ring on the desk. The goblin nodded.

* * *

The two of them sat in the contraption as it moved up, down, left and right before stopping in front of a vault. "Vault 121." The goblin said before climbing out. "Lamp please." Shouta handed him the lamp, and he walked towards the entrance to the vault. The two hesitantly followed. "Key please." The goblin said once again as he handed Shouta the lamp. The brunette took the lamp and handed the goblin his ring. The goblin walked over to the vault and stuck the ring into the key hole before removing it. There was a sound of metal and gears turning before the door swung open.

Hitsugaya Toshiro raised an eyebrow at the piles upon piles of gold that filled the vault. "Let's just grab a bag full. Considering how it's gold, we won't need that much. Besides, we can always come back." Shouta suggested, taking a bag and filling it with coins.

* * *

As the two of them walked out of the bank, money bag in hand, Hitsugaya took a few papers out of his pocket, glancing over it. "We should probably get some wands first, though I don't know how those will help. It should be at a place called Ollivander's." He pointed farther down the street. They hurried through the bustling street, ignoring the stares and whispers they earned. "There it is." Hitsugaya pointed to the shop, where a dusty old wand was displayed in the windows.

"Makers of fine wands since 382 B.C. huh?" Shouta scoffed, smirking. A little bell jingled as they stepped inside, closing the door behind them. "Excuse me? We're in need of some wands." Shouta called, peering past the empty desk and into the rows upon rows of shelves of boxes. An old man stepped out, raising an eyebrow as he saw the two before him.

"Visitors from the dead, eh? Haven't had one of you in awhile." Both boys looked at each other nervously before glancing back at the old man. "Don't worry. Whatever happens in Ollivander's stays in Ollivander's." The man winked, and the 2 relaxed slightly, though they were still slightly tense.

The old man's eyes twinkled as he walked back into one of the aisles and pulled out a box covered in dust. "Rosewood with unicorn hair, 8 inches." He said, opening the box and handing it to Hitsugaya. He took it, looking at the wand in confusion. "Go on, give it a wave." Mr. Ollivander gestured to the wand. Hitsugaya complied, waving the wand. The windows shattered, and Hitsugaya winced.

"Sorry." He muttered, quickly setting the wand onto the desk. Mr. Ollivander waved his apology off, hurrying back into the aisle to search for another wand. He grabbed another box, taking out the wand and handing it to Hitsugaya again.

"Ash with Thestral tail hair, 11 inches." Hitsugaya waved it, and the man dove out of the way as an icicle flew his way, impaling the wood behind him. "Definitely not." The man muttered, snatching the wand out of his hand. Hitsugaya had to try out at least another dozen wands, only to have each and every one snatched back before he could do anymore damage.

The shop was in shambles when the man strode to the back, pausing as he looked at another box, this one a pure white, making it stand out from the rest. He glanced back at Hitsugaya before grabbing the box and striding back to the front. "This wand has been here since this store opened, and not one person has been able to wield it. It's the only one of its kind. Ivory wood with ice dragon heartstring, 14 inches." Hitsugaya took the white wand, almost immediately feeling a surge of energy flow through him. He waved the wand, and suddenly the whole shop was covered in a blanket of snow. "Perfect." The man grinned, nodding to himself.

"I'm assuming you're the same as your friend?" Mr. Ollivander asked, looking at Shouta with an eyebrow raised. Shouta nodded hesitantly.

"Pretty much." The old man nodded to himself, again walking to the back. He strode back to the desk, this time holding a black box. When he opened it, there was a wand of pure black.

"Ebony wood with both phoenix feather and thestral tail hair, 15 inches. This is the companion to the wand your friend has there, been here since the store opened." Shouta took it and gave it a wave, the store darkening. The man nodded, seemingly pleased with himself. "Glad to see those two wands finally found their rightful owners. You two have done me a great deal. For that, I'll cut the price down to only 4 galleons." Shouta handed the man the money, before sticking his wand in his pocket and walking out of the store along with Hitsugaya.

"That turned out well, don't you think? We got these sticks for cheap." Shouta said, heading almost immediately to a store down the street called Flourish & Blott's. The rest of the day went by uneventfully as the 2 bought their school supplies. They headed back to the Leaky Cauldron not long after, setting their stuff in their rooms before coming back down into the pub to have a bite.

"So what did you think of that Ollivander guy? Eccentric, isn't he?" Shouta asked, still amused from their meeting with the wandmaker.

Hitsugaya rolled his eyes at his friend sarcastically. "I hope not every wizard is like him." He muttered in reply.

Shouta glanced to his right, where several young witches were looking at them and giggling, blush spread lightly on their delicate features. He snorted into his drink when one of them batted her eyelashes at him in a flirtatious manner. "What's wrong with you?" Hitsugaya asked, raising an eyebrow as Shouta wiped his mouth.

"Looks like we have some fans." The brunette muttered in reply, his eyes flicking to the group of girls that were now heading their way. Hitsugaya rolled his eyes, sighing.

"Hey there, boys." The lead girl said, leaning towards them flirtatiously. She flicked her blonde hair, making several men nearby sigh in happiness. "I'm Amber. I'm sure you know me, everybody does."

"Sorry, never heard of you. We're transfers from Japan." Shouta replied in English, obviously completely used to this procedure. He leaned back in his seat comfortably, smirking.

"Ooh, foreigners. Would you give me the pleasure of knowing your names?" She asked, not showing a hint of surprise at Shouta's calm demeanor.

"Shouta Watanabe. My friend over there is Toshiro Hitsugaya." Shouta replied.

"Well Shouta sweetie, do you think you and Toshiro could show me and my friends a good time?" She asked, tilting Shouta's chin up with her finger as she leaned in. You could feel the jealousy and scorn in the room.

Shouta swatted her hand away, his face suddenly taking that of anger and disgust. "Don't touch me with your filthy hands, _whore_. Know your place." He snapped, venom dripping from his voice. Toshiro raised an eyebrow, but said nothing. Amber gasped in shock, before stalking angrily out of the building, followed by her posse. Several of the women in the pub clapped in astonishment.

"Where did the nobleman act come from?" Hitsugaya asked, smirking.

Shouta shrugged, his normal, calm demeanor returning. "Comes with the nobleman background. There's a lot of politicians and such who treat me like a kid and try to garner money out of me, or to fool me into signing a deal. They think because I'm not an adult, that I won't understand and I'll sign some unfair deal with them. When you're in my place, you have to learn how to deal with those people." He explained.

"Is that why you gave her a fake surname?"

"Well, yes, but Shouta Izukai is also supposed to be dead, if you forgot. And since I'm pretty famous, I'm pretty sure that would cause a riot." Shouta smirked as well.

"You mean infamous, mister 'Green the most sought after killer in all of Europe and Asia'." Shouta rolled his eyes in reply.

"Anyways, what happened to Hyorinmaru? Didn't Clown Face say he found a way to hide him so that you can carry him around?" Shouta asked, changing the subject. Hitsugaya held up his hand, where there was an ice blue ring on his right index finger.

"It's the same concept as your ring. It'll morph into Hyorinmaru's unreleased form whenever I will it too. But to everyone else it's just a normal ring. Only difference is it won't turn back into a ring if I drop it." Hitsugaya explained, standing up. "Anyways, we should retire for the night. We'll need to get used to waking up early." Shouta nodded in reply, following the Captain up the stairs and into their room.


	3. Welcome To Hogwarts!

**Bold letters like this mean they're talking in Japanese.  
**_This is a flashback and/or a dream.  
_'Thoughts and the Sorting Hat.'  
And I think that's it.

* * *

_Bodies upon bodies lay before him, a sea of blood covering the bodies and the ground. His mother, his little sister, his older brother and his twin sister lay closest to him, their bodies mutilated. His friends, his enemies, everyone he had ever met, from both his life and afterlife lay there, their dead bodies staring at him with empty eyes. Among the bodies, stood a lone girl, her long brown hair and golden sundress stained crimson with blood. She looked up at him with empty gray eyes, eyes that used to hold so much life._

"_Tomomi…" Shouta reached for her, stumbling closer. Tears streamed down his face, his clothes covered in another's blood._

"_Why? Why Shouta? You killed them. All of them. You killed _me_. I thought you loved me. I thought you loved them. Aiyu was your precious sister, wasn't she? You don't deserve to live. Why Shouta? Why?" She murmured, blood suddenly pouring out of a bullet wound in her chest._

"_Please. I didn't. I don't… I'm…" He fell back into the blood, shock clear on his face. "Please, Tomomi… I'm sorry…"_

Shouta woke up with a start, bursting straight up in his bed, screaming. He blinked, realizing he was no longer in a body-infested graveyard. He looked around the room, spotting Hitsugaya Toshiro carrying his trunk towards the door.

"Are you alright, Izukai?" He asked, noticing the wild look of terror in his friend's eyes. Slowly, Shouta nodded, shakily getting out of bed to change.

"I'm fine. We have to leave for the train right? I'll get changed and meet you down there." Shouta lied, giving the white-haired boy a fake smile. Hitsugaya didn't believe a word of it, but nodded anyways and headed out the door, leaving Shouta alone to change. The brunette came down moments later, looking like nothing happened, though he seemed a bit tired.

"I've already got a cab, let's get going." Hitsugaya said once Shouta came out of the building. The boy nodded silently, obviously not in the mood for talking. The drive to King's Cross Station was silent as well, and Shouta didn't speak until they reached the platforms 9 and 10. "There's no Platform 9 ¾ anywhere. Then again, they probably found a way to disguise it from the muggles." Hitsugaya muttered, looking around.

"Why don't we follow them? I'm pretty sure I saw them the other day in the Leaky Cauldron." Shouta suggested, pointing to a large family of redheads. Hitsugaya nodded in agreement. Both boys were more than startled when one of the boys in the family ran straight for the pillar between the platforms. They visibly relaxed when he passed right through the wall, followed by the rest of the family. "Found it." Shouta muttered.

The two of them started to head towards the pillar, stopping when the last two, a black-haired boy and the youngest redhead, crashed into the pillar. "What do you think you're doing?" Asked the man as he walked over, frowning down at the two.

"Sorry sir, we l-lost control." Harry muttered in reply. The man gave them another glare before turning back to his confused customer. Hitsugaya frowned, and the two walked over. Hitsugaya noticed a small, ugly creature wearing a bag peeking out from behind the pillar.

"What did you do?" The Captain growled, glaring icily at the house elf.

"Dobby can't let Harry Potter go to Hogwarts." Dobby replied, staring back up at the boy fearfully.

"Let everyone through, or else." He growled, and Dobby shook his head. "I WILL tell your family. The Malfoys, right?"

"No. Please." Dobby squeaked. Hitsugaya's eyes narrowed, and Dobby snapped his fingers twice, the second time he disappeared.

"Hey, we can pass through the barrier!" Ron called excitedly, both boys racing through.

"Let's get on and find a seat. I'd rather not sit with other students who will bombard us with questions." Hitsugaya muttered, Shouta nodding in agreement. They quickly found a compartment that was empty. Toshiro sat by the window, Shouta sitting across from him. The brunette was about to doze off when the door to the compartment opened.

"Mind if we sit here? Everyone else is full." A black-haired boy stood in the doorway, green eyes under round glasses. Behind him was a member of the red-haired family from earlier and a girl with bushy, brown hair. Hitsugaya nodded silently, Shouta just eyeing them wearily.

Not long after the trio sat down, the girl began bombarding Hitsugaya with questions. "So, are you transfer students? Where are you from? I'm Hermione Granger. And who are you? What kind of magic are you taught? Can you teach me? Why is your hair white? Is it nat-"

"Urusai." Both Hitsugaya and Shouta snapped, glaring at the girl.

"Questions are meant for finding answers. Pause before you ask another question, or else you'll never get an answer. And to answer your questions, yes, Japan, nice to meet you, Toshiro Hitsugaya, no comment, no, no comment, and since your last question was never finished I can't answer. You can figure out which answer goes where yourself. And if you want to continue your questioning, talk slowly and quietly. My friend didn't get much sleep last night and he's extremely irritable right now." Hitsugaya replied angrily, the temperature plummeting several degrees. The golden trio shivered, although neither of the transfers seemed bothered by it. After a moment, Hermione nodded, her mouth closing with an audible snap. The temperature went back to normal, and Hitsugaya's scowl disappeared.

"Alright. Um… what's your friend's name?" Hermione asked slowly, after sorting out Hitsugaya's answers.

"Shouta Watanabe." The brunette replied, yawning.

"You should really get some sleep. Don't think I didn't hear you screaming when you woke up." Hitsugaya muttered to the brunette, raising an eyebrow. The boys and Hermione looked at him in alarm.

Shouta shook his head. "No, I'm good. I have a feeling I wouldn't get any sleep even if I tried. Besides, I might have that dream again." He replied quietly. "Anyways, who're you two?" He looked at the boys expectantly.

"I'm Ron Weasley, and this is… Harry Potter." The redhead replied. The Golden Trio looked at the boys as if they were supposed to act hysterical at the mention of the raven's name.

The boys stared blankly at them before brief recognition flashed across their faces, both remembering the information they were forced to read at the Leaky Cauldron. "Oh, that guy." Shouta muttered, looking thoughtful for a moment. "You survived the killing curse cast by that Moldy-mart dude. Kind of reminds me of Kurosaki." He muttered the last part to himself, not noticing the snickers Harry and Ron made from his pronunciation of the Dark Lord's name. Hitsugaya just rolled his eyes.

"Anyways," Hermione spoke up, coughing to gain the other's attention. "We'll be arriving pretty soon, so I suggest we change into our robes."

* * *

As Professor McGonagall led the first years and transfers-Hitsugaya smirked inwardly at the thought that for once he was looking down at others instead of looking up-she spoke about the procedure, also mentioning to the transfers that they would be sorted after the first years. Right before she opened the doors to the Great Hall, Shouta pulled her aside for a moment

"Ms. McGonagall, I'd like it if you called me by the surname Watanabe. If the students knew of my true identity, it would probably cause a bit of a riot." He whispered, gesturing towards the first years at the word 'students'. The woman nodded in agreement. She then led the first years in, the transfers listening as she called them one by one to be sorted. Finally, she called the last name, and the Hall once again quieted down as Dumbledore stood, his eyes twinkling.

"I am pleased to announce the arrival of transfer students at our school for the first time in several hundred years. I am pleased to welcome Mr. Hitsugaya and Mr. Watanabe." The 2 strode in, Shouta gladly taking note of the fact that the Headmaster had been informed of his alias.

The two of them strode through the Great Hall, earning a lot of stares and whispering upon their entry. Hitsugaya was the first to be called up. He sat on the stool, the ratty old hat placed on his head. Almost immediately he put a barrier around his mind, blocking the hat out. 'Now that won't do. I'll need to see into your mind in order to sort you into a house.'

Hitsugaya frowned. 'Why should I let you?'

'I am the Sorting Hat. It's my job.' Hitsugaya eased up just a little, allowing the hat to get a glimpse. 'I'll need more than that.' He eased up even more, allowing the hat a good portion of his mind. 'My, quite the accomplished one, aren't you? And a Captain at that! You would do well in Ravenclaw, but seeing as you're not here to learn… Quite the ambitioned one. Slytherin would be pleased to have you… And you're quite courageous, very loyal to those you care about as well.' Hyorinmaru growled inside Toshiro's mind. 'Another soul resides here! Interesting… very interesting… Very well, you'll have to be in…'

"GRYFFINDOR!" Toshiro pulled the hat off almost immediately, sitting down next to Harry as he waited for his companion to be called up.

Shouta walked up next, frowning when the hat was put on his head. 'Interesting… Another dead one, eh? And you've had quite the hardships… Another child prodigy, just like your friend… Your pureblood background and dark side would do well in Slytherin… very well…' The hat was about to yell Slytherin when Shouta let up even more, showing the more painful parts of his life. 'I see… you're definitely very brave now. You've lost many precious people in your life. You would do quite well in Gryffindor, but you don't want to have to go through that pain anymore. Hmm… If you want to keep your distance, then you'll be best in…'

"SLYTHERIN!" Shouta tore the hat off his head, walking towards the Slytherin table. When Hitsugaya raised an eyebrow at him as he passed, he just shrugged.

"Bloody hell! He was a stinking Slytherin?!" Ron muttered after Dumbledore made a few last announcements, including the new DADA teacher, Gilderoy Lockhart.

"It could've gone either way." Hitsugaya replied.

"What do you mean?" Hermione asked.

"Seems to me like the hat was struggling with deciding between Slytherin and Gryffindor." He answered calmly. "I'd say more, but I really shouldn't say anything about his past without his consent first. For now, I'll just say he's from a pretty noble family that has had a lot of tragedies."

Suddenly, all the tables were filled with foods of all sorts, including-to the relief of the transfers-Japanese foods. Not long after, Shouta got up and walked over to the Gryffindor table, sitting next to Hitsugaya. "Hey." He greeted. Several Gryffindors glared and scoffed at him, keeping their distance.

"You really shouldn't do that. It'll cause quite the riot." Hitsugaya warned, though he was smirking. Shouta shrugged in response.

"So what if they don't get along? It's not our problem. I really don't care what anyone thinks."

"What the heck is _this_?" Ron muttered, picking up a squishy, flower-shaped food.

"Squid." Hitsugaya replied, rolling his eyes as Ron dropped it, disgust clear on his face.

As the 2 conversed, switching between Japanese and English with ease, they ignored the glares they earned from several Gryffindors and Slytherins. Shouta smirked out in amusement as one of the Slytherin girls walked out of the Hall in disgust. "Well, I better get going. **And I'll do that report, so relax, you workaholic. **See ya." Shouta waved in Harry's direction as he got up from the table and strolled away leisurely.


	4. Pixies, Malfoy, & The 1st Victim

Sorry for the delay! I would have posted this yesterday, but school just started back up and things have been kinda hectic for me. And **bold** is Japanese!

* * *

After several days, Shouta and Hitsugaya found that the school was going to be far more interesting than they originally thought. Their first class in History of Magic class, which happened to be Slytherins and Gryffindors together, Shouta toppled over in his seat at the sight of the ghost professor, earning an uncharacteristic snort and barely contained laugh from Hitsugaya. They later heard about the ghosts, whom they had not seen at the Welcoming Feast. They also learned that Gilderoy Lockhart was an idiot who did not know the 1st thing about magic. Overall, though, the first couple days passed without incident.

Shouta snickered at Hitsugaya's grimace as the 2 stepped into the DADA classroom. The place was lined with moving pictures and portraits of Lockhart, the man walking down and talking in a self-important voice as the 2 rushed to sit down. They ignored a few bewildered stares when they sat together. Hitsugaya groaned quietly as the man said, "I must ask you not to scream, it might provoke them!" he yanked the cloth off the cage on his desk, revealing a bunch of blue Cornish pixies.

"Cornish pixies?" Scoffed a Gryffindor boy. Hitsugaya rolled his eyes and began ignoring the professor.

"You should pay attention, Hitsugaya. You might provoke the Lockhart pixies." Shouta whispered, grinning stupidly. Hitsugaya rolled his eyes again, though he couldn't help but smirk at Shouta's stupid joke. The boys perked up when the cage door was yanked open, the pixies bursting out and causing havoc. The two sat there as most of the class ran out at the chaos. Shouta burst out laughing as the professor's wand got taken.

"Shouta, you should really stop laughing at another's expense. You're starting to act like Kurotsuchi and Zaraki." Hitsugaya muttered, his reiatsu freezing one of the pixies when it got too close to him.

Shouta sighed in exaggeration, taking out his wand and waving it. All the pixies froze, floating around in the air. "Well… thank you for that Shouta. Um, if you'll put them back into their cage for me." The man murmured, disappearing before anyone could protest.

"I'll be right back." The brunette muttered, racing after the man. Hitsugaya sighed, and started grabbing pixies and throwing them into the cage. The brown-haired transfer came back soon after, beaming as the teacher followed behind him, blabbering about some story he had written. The transfers disappeared from the classroom almost immediately.

* * *

The 2 were strolling by the Quidditch field that morning, discussing about what happened yesterday with the Cornish pixies, generally trying to keep their mind off their mission, when Ronald Weasley landed in front of them. "Hey, you okay?" Shouta asked, keeping his distance as a precaution. His instincts told him right, because Ron started vomiting slugs before them, both of the transfers looking at him in disgust. The Gryffindor Quidditch team and Hermione had rushed over just in time to see the first slimy thing drop out of Ron's mouth. Everyone looked in disgust, shouting "Ew!" or "Gross!"

One boy, who Hitsugaya recognized as Colin Creevey snapped a picture, and asked something excitedly that the shinigami tuned out. They watched, seemingly uninterested, as Harry and Ron rushed their friend away to get help. "Serves him right." Malfoy scoffed, his smirk mirrored by some other Slytherins. The transfers had never really associated with the boy, ignoring any comments he had made about the 2. "Did you see his face? He looked like he would turn into a slug, himself. Wait, he already is one!" The blonde-haired brat and his friends cackled. The Gryffindors butted in at the comment, soon turning into an extremely loud argument.

"You freaks shouldn't even be allowed in this school!" One Slytherin shouted.

"Same to you! You think you're better than others just because of your excuse of a father!" A Gryffindor retorted.

"Like you should talk! You're all freaks! Look at him!" Malfoy snapped, pointing rather rudely at Toshiro, who was now watching the conversation with interest. "I bet that mudblood's parents are filthy good-for-nothings-" He was cut off abruptly when Shouta punched him in the face, sending him flying into a few other Slytherins.

"Don't talk about someone's family so rudely when you don't even know them." He snapped, his voice rising as he continued. "You don't know what we've been through. What he's been through. For your information, _Malfoy_, our parents are _dead._ He doesn't even know who they are." Shouta growled, stepping in front of Toshiro protectively.

"I'm better off than you are, Shouta. Seeing your father abandon you and your mother murdered right before your eyes isn't very settling. Let's go, we have something we need to attend to." Toshiro stepped in, putting a firm hand on Shouta's shoulder.

"Fine." The brunette grumbled, trudging off.

Hitsugaya followed him, stopping only for a moment to turn his icy glare on the whimpering Malfoy. The temperature dropped dramatically, making everyone shiver. "I suggest you watch your mouth next time, brat. Because next time, _I'll_ be the one to snap. And it won't be nearly as pleasant." He growled at the boy, who nodded shakily. Hitsugaya then smirked, following his friend as the air rose back to its original temperature, everyone staring after the transfers in shock.

* * *

"Did you hear that?" Hitsugaya muttered, looking around the empty hallway.

"If you're talking about that creepy, bloodthirsty voice, then yes." Shouta replied warily. They both frowned as they heard the voice again, flash stepping after it.

Both Hitsugaya and Shouta stared in shock at the sight before them. Written in blood on the wall was 'The Chamber of Secrets had been opened. Enemies of the heir… Beware.' Next to it, hanging from the ceiling, was Mrs. Norris. Shouta frowned at the sight of the cat. "It's definitely not dead. Either way, we should probably get it down. I'm pretty sure Mrs. Norris doesn't like being strung up like that." The murmured, reaching up to untie the cat.

"Wha…" Shouta looked up, still holding the hardened cat up, to see the Golden Trio. Hardly 10 seconds later, the halls were soon filled with students, all whispering and pointing.

"My cat! You murdered my cat!" Shrieked Mr. Filch, pointing accusingly at Shouta in anger. The boy looked at him before looking at the cat in his hand.

"I did?" Was all he could say, thoroughly confused.

"I'll kill ya." The man growled, lifting him up by the shirt. "I'll kill ya!"

"Argus," Dumbledore's voice called as he and a few other teachers pushed through the crowd. He opened his mouth to speak, and stared agape as he saw the scene before him. Mr. Filch had let go of Shouta, who still held the cat. Behind them, was the message in blood. "Everyone, please proceed to the dormitories immediately." The Headmaster called out, and everyone started to leave. "Except," he continued, pointing to Shouta (who had by now dropped the cat) and Hitsugaya. "You two."

"She's not dead, Argus. She has been petrified." Dumbledore's quiet voice sounded loud as Mr. Filch and the transfers stood there, looking at him.

"No offense, Mr. Filch, but it's a _cat_. You can get a new one, can't you?" Shouta asked suddenly, raising an eyebrow. Hitsugaya rolled his eyes at the calm boy, who's posture was sure to get him accused and possibly even expelled.

"Why you!" Argus Filch shouted, raising a fist.

"Now, Argus. But how she has been petrified, I cannot say." The Headmaster continued, worry reflected in his eyes.

"Ask him. He's done it. You saw what he wrote on the wall." The caretaker snapped, pointing at Shouta accusingly.

"Hey, hey, No pointing fingers. I have no idea what happened either. By the time I got here, she was hung up right there. I just got her down." Shouta replied, jerking a thumb towards the place where Mrs. Norris had been hanging a moment before.

"Rubbish." Mr. Filch growled.

"If I may, Headmaster." Snape muttered. "Perhaps these two have simply been in the wrong place at the wrong time." He suggested, though the way his beady eyes glared at the transfers suggested otherwise. "Though the circumstances are suspicious. I, for one, recall these two leaving from dinner quite early." He sneered, striding slowly towards them.

"Yes, the circumstances are quite suspicious. But I, for one, don't recall having to give a reason to leave early." Shouta sneered back, copying Snape's manner of speaking in a remarkably similar way.

"Now, now." Lockhart laughed uncomfortably, stepping in between the two. "I'm sure whatever's going on here, Shouta has a good reason for it."

"Back off, idiot." The brunette growled, his patience clearly running low. "You don't know the first thing about me. None of you do." He snapped, glaring at the rest of the teachers.

"**Izukai Shouta!**" Hitsugaya snapped, his icy glare far scarier than the brunette's. "**Watch that mouth of yours! We're supposed to be undercover. If you get expelled now, this will be all for nothing. You can snap at them all you want **_**after**_** the year is over.**" Shouta glared at him, but backed down anyways.

"Fine."


	5. Snape's Shocking Detention

So you probably noticed that it's going to take longer than usual to post this. I'll work on it when I can!

And Snape is about to get the shock of his life, hence the title. Malfoy torturing will probably be soon! :D

* * *

"Do you think that Slytherin transfer student did it?" Ron whispered, glancing towards the mentioned. He stuffed a chicken leg in his mouth as he said this.

"Maybe. But what about Toshiro? He was there too." Harry replied.

"You've seen the way they're always hanging around each other. I bet he's in on it too." Ron grabbed another chicken leg, still stuffing his mouth.

"You 2 can't just accuse them. They might have just been there at the wrong place and the wrong time." Hermione protested, giving Ron a glare at his use of 'table manners'.

"You're just saying that. I've seen the way you and the rest of the girls look at them." Ron sneered, Harry nodding in quick agreement.

"Ron's right. Besides, that Watt-an-abs guy was _holding _the damned cat."

"It's Watanabe. And he must have had a good reason for that. Like…" The bushy-haired girl trailed off, thinking.

"Like maybe I was trying to get the thing down?" Came a ticked voice from behind them. Ron and Harry whirled around to see Shouta and Hitsugaya standing behind them.

"Shouta! Toshiro!" The trio gasped. Hermione and several girls nearby went red.

"It's Hitsugaya."

"Wh-where're you going?" Hermione stuttered, trying to rid the blush on her face.

"Detention. I talked back to a teacher and now Filch thinks we're plotting something." Shouta replied casually, hands in his pockets.

"Why does he think you're plotting something? I mean, besides the fact that you were holding a petrified cat in front of a message written in blood." Harry asked curiously, his earlier conversation with Ron and Hermione forgotten.

"Shiro-chan here decided that he should stop me in Japanese, and since no one else understands the language, that caretaker thinks he was telling me that we shouldn't give them reason to get suspicious. Or something like that, I think." Shouta replied, jerking a thumb at Hitsugaya. The temperature dropped significantly at the use of the nickname.

"It's _Hitsugaya._" The Captain growled, everyone (but Shouta) looking at him fearfully. "And I wouldn't _have_ to stop you if you hadn't started talking back to him in the 1st place. I hate him as much as you do, but you need to learn to watch your temper and your mouth." He snapped.

Shouta rolled his eyes. "You should speak for yourself. Whenever you're angry, you literally try to freeze everything and everyone to death. And I think you just passed the freezing point." Shouta pointed at Ron's soda, which was freezing over. Reluctantly, Hitsugaya sighed, calming down. The temperature also warmed up.

"We should get going." The Captain said quietly, giving Shouta a glare before the 2 briskly walked off.

"**So, did you send last night's report?**" Hitsugaya asked, leaning against the wall next to the Potions classroom. Shouta nodded, hands stuffed in his pockets.

"**Yep. I added the thing about the petrifaction as well. We should be getting our orders back tomorrow morning, along with a few extra things.**"

"Plotting something Mr. Watanabe?" Asked the sneering voice of Severus Snape.

"We can talk in Japanese if we want to, _Professor_." Shouta snapped back, reluctantly following the man in the classroom.

"Shouta." Hitsugaya growled in warning, the temperature dropping steadily. The brunette rolled his eyes, but shut up none the less. Once Hitsugaya walked in, Snape waved his wand, and the door closed silently. Both transfers could sense the faint reiatsu from the silencing charm he had cast.

Snape didn't put his wand away, instead holding it threateningly at the 2 boys. "Who are you? No, _what_ are you?" He growled. Shouta glanced at Hitsugaya, before smirking and bowing low.

"Shouta Izukai, at your service." He said sarcastically, holding in a laugh at the professor's priceless face.

"That's impossible. The Izukai heir is dead." Snape took a step closer in a threatening manner.

"You're right, I'm dead." Shouta replied calmly, all emotion suddenly being replaced by an impassive mask.

"Izukai." Hitsugaya warned, no longer feeling the need to use his 1st name. The temperature dropped slightly, but Izukai ignored it.

"I'm not here to kill anyone. At least, not for now." The temperature dropped even more, frost forming at their feet.

"Then how are you here, if you're dead?" Snape asked, taking a step back.

"Hitsugaya's a soul reaper, and I'm… well, kind of a soul reaper, I guess. A soul reaper is also known as a shinigami in Japan." Shouta explained. The temperature suddenly took a dive, ice covering the floor. Hitsugaya had his zanpaktou out, hovering just next to Shouta's throat.

"Izukai, if you say anything else, I _will_ kill you. The Head Captain specifically told you _not_ to reveal any information about us." Hitsugaya seethed, eyes narrowed dangerously. Snape dropped his wand in shock, staggering back from the dangerous aura that radiated from both transfers.

"We both know that you wouldn't do that." Shouta replied calmly, his eyes also narrowed.

"Doesn't mean I won't cut off an arm or 2." Hitsugaya sneered, twisting his sword so that the blade was now hovering over the brunette's shoulder. In a blurred movement that even Snape's beady eyes couldn't follow, the 2 were facing each other, Hyorinmaru pressed against the brunette's throat, and a gun pointed at Hitsugaya's forehead. Both of them were glaring at each other, Snape long forgotten behind them.

"Now, now. It won't do to fight." Came an oddly cheerful and yet sickeningly familiar voice. "You don't want the professor to get killed in the crossfire." Urahara, his characteristic smile shown as always, stood between the 2, his fan held up in front of his face. The two of them lowered them weapons, albeit reluctantly, and both weapons morphed back into the rings.

"Urahara-san, what're you doing here?" Shouta asked, his hand still twitching as he and Hitsugaya continued to glare at each other.

"I came to give you your orders from the Head Captain. Apparently it's of the utmost priority that you get them immediately." The man explained.

"So, what are the orders?" Hitsugaya asked impatiently, calming down and leaning against a nearby desk.

"**You'll be staying here for the next 6 years. Head Captain thinks that Aizen might have something to do with this. **In the meantime, I'll be your Guardian over the summer!" Urahara grinned, earning a groan from Shouta.

"We have to go to school _again_?!" The brunette started cursing quietly, the temperature dropping again because of Hitsugaya's temper.

"Temper temperature!" Urahara warned. The temperature slowly rose, though the Captain didn't look any bit happier.

"Get that stupid grin off your face. Technically, we're still in detention and _guardians_ should be at home waiting for their kids to come back at the end of the year." Shouta snapped, before noticing a small package hidden in the ex-captain's pocket. "And what's that?"

"Oh! I almost forgot!" He pulled out the packet, and handed it to Hitsugaya. "This is from Ukitake-san. There's about 20 more of these when you come back for the winter break." Hitsugaya looked at the package as if it was a bomb, Shouta trying to hold in (unsuccessfully) fits of laughter. Reluctantly, after a few wild gestures from the other 2, he opened it. Shouta burst, falling to his knees laughing, as Hitsugaya gave a death glare at the sweets and candy in the package. The room almost froze over as he pulled out a small, stuffed ice dragon. He could hear Hyorinmaru laughing inside his mind, almost as loud as Shouta.

"_What is this?_" He seethed angrily.

"The Head Captain said it was to remind you of home. Rangiku-san made it." Urahara explained, snickering. Hitsugaya looked at the thing like he was trying to freeze it without success. "Oh, and she made it freeze-proof."

"Wha…" Snape muttered, everyone looking at him instantly.

"Oh yeah, I forgot he was there." Shouta muttered under his breath. "Anyways, I guess you know you really shouldn't repeat any of this to anyone or Hitsugaya here will attempt to chop your head off." He smiled at the bewildered teacher and dragged Hitsugaya out the door, Urahara following closely behind. You could hear the white-haired captain cursing darkly all the way.

* * *

Rangiku, Ukitake, Urahara and Yamamoto (yes, the head captain) conspiring against Shiro-chan! I plan to have a lot of fun with the stuffed Hyorinmaru. :)


	6. Harry's Boneless Arm & The 2nd Victim

The crowd roared deafeningly as the quaffle went back in forth between the players, Slytherin standing up and screaming defiantly when they scored. Shouta watched with a slightly bemused but overall interested face as he watched the game known as Quidditch unfold before him. He glanced across the stadium to see an extremely bored Hitsugaya reading a book, despite the urges from Hermione and Ron to watch the game. He frowned slightly when one of the bludgers went after Harry twice; his suspicions confirmed when the thing started _chasing_ him. He watched as the rogue bludger damaged several of the pillars around the field. He didn't notice Hitsugaya perk up and watch, too focused on trying to think of his course of action.

The crowd leaned forward in their seats as the snitch, Harry, Malfoy, and the bludger all dived under the stadium. When Shouta realized he wouldn't be of any help just sitting there, he reached into his pocket, cursing silently when he remembered that Kurotsuchi had denied them the soul candy. He looked at Hitsugaya, who seemed just as frustrated, when out of nowhere Malfoy came out from under, tumbling off his broomstick and onto the ground, Harry flying out in front of him. Both boys raced quickly down into the arena, oblivious to the curious looks they garnered. They barely heard the announcer screaming how Gryffindor won the match, keeping their eyes on the bludger that kept trying to smash Potter's face in as they sped onto the field.

Harry had just avoided another deadly hit to the head when Shouta jumped up and grabbed the ball, wrestling to hold the thing still for Hitsugaya. "Hurry up, dammit. This thing's harder to hold onto than it looks." He grunted, Hitsugaya nodding hastily and freezing the rogue bludger in the other boy's grasp. Shouta easily crushed it, little bits of melting ice falling to the ground. Hermione, Ron, and Hagrid came rushing towards the 3, Harry just looking stunned towards the transfers.

"Are you okay?" Hermione blurted out worriedly, crouching down beside her friend.

"No, I-I think my arm's broken." Harry muttered in reply, shifting uncomfortably on the ground. Gilderoy Lockhart and several others rushed over, Lockhart pulling out his wand and crouching beside the boy.

"Not to worry Harry, I will fix that arm of yo-" The Professor started before Hitsugaya abruptly cut him off.

"You sure?" He asked sarcastically, earning a snicker from the brunette beside him. Lockhart gave him a brief glare before turning back to Harry. With a wave of his wand and the uttering of a few words-along with Shouta's half-hearted protests to stop him-a blue light flared up before dying back down, Hitsugaya eyeing the arm suspiciously. Lockhart set his wand down and lifted up Harry's arm, which was now limp and squishy-like. Everyone groaned in disgust.

"Ah… well, yes… That can sometimes happen." Lockhart started as Harry looked horrified at his arm.

"Sometimes? The nurse could've easily fixed a broken arm, heck, even I could fix it. But growing bones back is a whole other process." Shouta grumbled, thinking back on the Unohana's torture when he'd asked if she could teach him healing kido. He shuddered mentally at the thought.

"Well, the point is," Lockhart started, ignoring the brunette. He bent Harry's arm back unnaturally, and the boy's eyes widened. "You can no longer feel any pain, and very clearly, the bones are not broken."

"Broken?!" Hagrid exclaimed. "There's no bones _left_!"

* * *

Madame Pomfrey rushed past a groaning Malfoy towards Harry, where several Gryffindors were gathered around. Hitsugaya and Shouta watched from a little farther away, both smirking when Harry spit out the drink he was given.

Sometime after everyone (but Harry and the nurse) had left, Shouta walked up quietly to the woman, bringing her a little farther from Harry to talk to her. "Did you need something dear?"

"I have these… scars, and no one so far has been able to get rid of them. So I was wondering if you could try." Shouta muttered, Hitsugaya frowning.

"**I don't think she'll be able to help.**" Hitsugaya murmured, but Shouta just shrugged.

"**Always worth a try.**" The brunette replied.

"Well then, could you show me? I can't do anything unless I know where the scar is." Shouta frowned for a moment, before sighing and taking off his shirt. He turned around, showing Madame Pomfrey the inverted pentagram that had been carved into his back. Hitsugaya winced; it hurt to look at every time he saw it.

"Oh Merlin…" The woman muttered.

"Every once in awhile it'll start hurting again, and it brings back a few… bad memories." Shouta explained, putting his shirt back on. He ignored the horrified look Harry had from his bed across the room.

"I'll see what I can do, dear, but I don't think I'll be able to help much." The nurse replied, scuttling off. Shouta trudged towards Harry, Hitsugaya following right behind.

"**What happened to making sure no one found out?**" The white-haired Captain muttered, smirking. Shouta just shrugged.

"Wha… How did…" Harry asked, at a loss for words.

"Same guy who killed my mom." Shouta replied quietly, giving him a look as if to say, 'don't ask'. Harry nodded mutely.

"So… why can't anyone heal it?" The boy asked hesitantly. Shouta plopped onto a stool, sighing.

"Honestly, I really don't know. I've had it since I was 6, and I've been to almost every doctor within Japan and several countries of Europe. I could easily pay the bills, but no one yet has been able to get rid of them." Shouta replied, his eyes hazing over as he relived the painful memories.

"I've asked Professor Snape to make a potion for you, but it will take a couple weeks." Madame Pomfrey called as she ran back into the room.

"Thanks, Ma'am. Oh, and I'd appreciate it if you didn't tell anyone about it. Some people think of it as a tattoo or something and they make assumptions." Both Harry and the nurse nodded, before the transfer students headed back to their respective houses.

* * *

That night, both Shouta and Hitsugaya had snuck into the library and into the restricted section, hoping to find some information about the Chamber of Secrets and the petrified cat. "What do you think caused the petrification?" Hitsugaya asked quietly, flipping through a book.

"I'd say a cockatrice, but that's kind of unlikely. And it definitely isn't Medusa; she's in Greece I think. A basilisk maybe?" Shouta mused, more to himself than to Hitsugaya.

_Kill… kill…_

"Mind telling me what that was?" Shouta muttered, both boys suddenly alert. The 2 sprang up from their spot in the library, and sprinted towards the voice, though careful not to be seen. Shouta almost tripped when he saw the petrified body of the Gryffindor boy that kept stalking Harry.

"That's Colin Creevey." Hitsugaya muttered, looking at the boy, camera held up in front of his face as if he was going to take a picture. "He's been petrified." The 2 began looking around, Hitsugaya raising an eyebrow curiously as he eyed something nearby.

"You find something?" Shouta asked, both boys standing in front of Colin. Hitsugaya nodded, opening his mouth to say something, when a rush of feet stopped behind them. The transfer students turned around to see McGonagall and Dumbledore staring at them, suspiciousness showing in the deputy headmistress's expression.

"What happened here?" She asked, the professors rushing towards them.

"We were heading back to our houses when we came across Creevey. I think he's been petrified." Shouta explained, leaving out the voice that they had heard.

"You should've been asleep hours ago." McGonagall snapped, Shouta just shrugging.

He turned back to Hitsugaya. "**So what did you find?**"

"Oh no you don't! You are going to tell us exactly what is going on here. You 2 are acting suspicious enough as it is, and now you're sneaking around the castle and just appearing near the _2__nd_ victim!" The woman freaked, Dumbledore resting a calm hand on her shoulder.

"First, we must take Mr. Creevey to the infirmary. Afterwards, you both are to explain your actions." The Headmaster said, Shouta nodding hesitantly. Hitsugaya started grumbling in Japanese.

They headed to the infirmary, the transfer students lagging behind reluctantly. "**Let's just make a run for it.**" The brunette grumbled, the white-haired boy next to him rolling his eyes.

"**If we did that, they'd assume we were the culprits for sure.**" Hitsugaya snapped back. Shouta just shrugged, as if to say he didn't really care, earning an icy glare from Hitsugaya.

"**Ooh… scary. The former midget is angry!**" Shouta snickered, Hitsugaya seething quietly.

"**I am **_**not**_** a midget.**" He growled angrily.

"**At least I used former.**"

The 2 waited outside as the professor, nurse, and Headmaster rushed inside with Colin Creevey's petrified body. "**So **_**now**_** can you tell me what you found back there?**" Shouta asked impatiently, raising his voice slightly.

"**Spiders.**" Hitsugaya replied calmly, crossing his arms and leaning against the wall.

"**Huh? Spiders?**"

"**Aren't spiders afraid of basilisks? Because there were several spiders running from the scene.**" Hitsugaya explained, Shouta's eyes lighting up as soon as he mentioned spiders.

"**Great! I snagged a couple books from the library on our beasts in question before we left. Here, this one's about the basilisk.**" Shouta reached into his cloak and pulled out a dusty old book, handing it to Hitsugaya. The Captain looked at it curiously, flipping through the pages.

The two of them stood out there for a good 10 minutes, before Shouta snatched the book back and put it away just in time as Professor McGonagall and Albus Dumbledore walked out, both looking at the 2 warily. "I think we deserve an explanation." Dumbledore said quietly, both boys nodding sullenly.

"Well… to be honest, we kinda here _voices_ right before each attack. We followed it, and that's how we came upon Mrs. Norris and Creevey." Shouta muttered, rubbing the back of his head.

Dumbledore frowned, and opened his mouth to say more, but the boys rushed off, saying something about getting some sleep for tomorrow.

"That boy, he's really part of the Izukai family, is he not?" McGonagall nodded mutely. "If he's who I think he is, he should be dead."

* * *

Dun, dun, dun! Dumbledore is SUSPICIOUS! This is a lot of fun to write, and I'm not even done with the 2nd year! And yes, they will be staying until they graduate, so that'll be fun! :D


	7. Manabu Hara

The 2nd years gathered around the table as Gilderoy Lockhart started preaching. Shouta looked at Hitsugaya from across the table and rolled his eyes sarcastically, earning a smirk from the other.

The DADA professor began bragging a bit as Snape stepped up, giving a wary glance to both of the transfers as he passed. The 2 of them soon began their 'deul', Shouta sneakily pulling out his cell and texting. Hitsugaya received a message a moment later on his own phone from Shouta. 'This reminds me of the time I got Madarame to do an organized kendo match with some Squad 4 kid. Poor guy had the daylights scared out of him.' Hitsugaya looked up at Shouta, raising an eyebrow. The brunette just grinned goofily.

"Expelliarmus!" Snape shouted, blasting Lockhart backwards. The man quickly got back up and regained his confidence, bragging about how he could've stopped Snape if he had tried. "Perhaps it would be prudent to _first_ teach the students to block unfriendly spells, Professor." Snape sneered. Lockhart nodded, walking away as if he was pacing.

"An excellent suggestion, Professor Snape! Let's have a volunteer pair… erm… Potter! Weasley! How about you?" Lockhart suggested, both boys looking at him with a mix of emotions.

"Weasley's wand causes devastation to the simplest spells. He'll be sending Potter to the hospital wing in a matchbox. Might I suggest someone from my own house?" Snape interrupted, raising an eyebrow. He held his hands up in a questioning manner. "Malfoy perhaps?" Snape gestured to the blonde, who got onto the table along with Harry.

Shouta rolled his eyes, thinking of the disaster that was bound to happen. Both Professors walked to either end of the table, turning around to watch as Harry and Malfoy stepped up. "Wands at the ready!" Lockhart called, both of them holding their wands up in the same manner as the professors had before. The 2 of them muttered something to each other that Hitsugaya didn't quite catch, and soon enough they had started the duel, turning around and walking a certain distance. They turned back around and got into a position. "On the count of 3, cast your charms to disarm your opponent, ONLY, to disarm, we don't want any accidents here." Lockhart explained, before beginning the count. "1… 2…"

Before he could say 3, Malfoy made a move, hitting Potter and making him fly backwards. Harry quickly sat up, gasping slightly. He cast a similar spell, making Malfoy fly back himself. Snape roughly pulled him up and pushed him back towards Harry. His next move created a snake, which landed in between them both. The crowd of students shuffled back nervously. Harry slowly lowered his wand in surprise.

"Don't worry Potter, I'll get rid of it for you." Snape spoke up, walking towards the snake.

"Allow me, Professor Snape." Lockhart proclaimed loudly. "Alarte Ascendare!" He shouted, making the snake fly into the air before landing unscathed back on the ground. The snake hissed at the surrounding students, Harry's eyes narrowing slightly as he slowly walked towards it. He began speaking in an unrecognizable language to the snake, which looked at one boy and began moving towards him. Harry kept speaking, before Shouta and Hitsugaya suddenly jumped onto the table. Hitsugaya stepped on the snake, effectively freezing it, and Shouta walked over to Harry and slapped him.

Everyone looked at the brunette in stunned silence, who was glaring at Harry. "Harry Potter, you will _not_ speak in Parseltongue around me. It is extremely offensive to both my school and my family." He snapped, Hitsugaya nodding in agreement as he crushed the ice sculpture he had made. Everyone than looked at the confused Harry in fear and anger.

"What are you playing at?" The boy who was almost attacked by the snake asked. Harry looked at him in confusion, before turning to an angry Shouta and Hitsugaya. He looked at the professors, who stared at him suspiciously.

"What are you talking about? What's Parseltongue?" He asked worriedly.

"Parseltongue is the language of snakes. You were speaking it just now." Hitsugaya explained. "Our school in Japan was plagued by a horde of poisonous snakes a few years back, which were all controlled by a Parseltongue speaker. They killed several students, and Shouta's family was accused, since they could speak Parseltongue. Several of his family members were executed before they found the real culprit." Hitsugaya explained solemnly.

Harry, Hitsugaya, and Shouta were held back after the class, and with Lockhart's permission, Hermione and Ron stayed too. "I have many things to ask you 3, but I must say I am most curious to hear this story about your school, Mr. Hitsugaya, Mr. Watanabe." Dumbledore said as he looked seriously at the 2 transfers.

"I'd rather not talk about the details." Shouta muttered, his eyes downcast.

"I would at least like to hear a few." Dumbledore replied, his kind eyes boring into the boy.

"Our school is run very differently from yours." Hitsugaya spoke up, as it was obvious Shouta would not. "We're trained in mortal combat, sword fighting, and healing spells in addition to the things you teach. Our teachers are much more strict, and some give out physical punishments. We are also allowed to talk back to a teacher, if we can back it up with a plausible cause. That would explain Shouta's rudeness to you, Professor Lockhart, so I'm sorry if he has offended you in any way." Hitsugaya bowed to the teacher respectively.

"No, no, it's quite alright."

"Our school takes mortal combat very seriously, since if we lost our wands, we would be virtually powerless. It has happened to several teachers and students, and many lives have been lost due to this fact. 3 of our teachers have… defected, and are plotting against the school as we speak. I believe you all wanted to know the reasons behind our suspicious actions on campus." Hitsugaya eyed McGonagall, who nodded furiously. "Shouta and I are considered one of the few prodigies in the school, besides Ichigo Kurosaki, a special case. We were sent here to learn foreign magic and perhaps seek help here at Hogwarts."

"**Nice lie. Detailed, believable, and even a little of the truth twisted in.**" Shouta muttered, raising an eyebrow. Hitsugaya shook his head in irritation.

"**Well maybe if you hadn't let a few things slip, I wouldn't have to lie like this. Especially about your outburst towards Potter just now, as well as the fact that the teachers are already suspicious enough as it is.**" Hitsugaya snapped back. When they noticed the confused (and slightly suspicious) stares they were getting, Shouta quickly closed his mouth, and Hitsugaya sighed in exasperation.

* * *

Hitsugaya and Shouta sat with Harry, Ron, and Hermione in the library, the transfers ignoring the odd and suspicious stares they were getting. Harry, however, seemed extremely bothered. "I'll see you back in the common room." Harry muttered, gathering up his stuff and heading out the door. Shouta sighed and the transfer students followed him out, Shouta sneaking the books he stole from the restricted section back into his bag. They ignored the prying eyes that followed them out the door.

The 2 of them watched Harry curiously as he paused and looked around just as the voice they'd been hearing spoke up again. It stopped, and Harry sighed and turned a corner, Shouta glancing at Hitsugaya before they raced after him. Shouta skidded to a stop as they came upon the still forms of Nearly Headless Nick and another student. Harry bent down to touch the body curiously, before Shouta shot his hand out and stopped the boy, although Hitsugaya himself began prodding the body.

"Caught in the act." Filch muttered, the 3 boys whirling around. "I know you're conspiring together, Potter. Mark my words, I will have you exposed." He muttered, before walking off.

"No, Mr. Filch! Y-you don't understand!" Harry started before Shouta cut him off calmly.

"Leave it, Harry. He's hysterical enough because his cat's been petrified. He just wants someone to blame." The brunette muttered, standing up. He let go of Harry's wrist, who stood up curiously and watched as a line of spiders escaped through the nearby window in the hall. Mr. Filch came back a moment later with Professor McGonagall. The woman rushed towards the body of the student, and Shouta yanked Hitsugaya up.

"Professor, I swear, we never…" Harry trailed off as the deputy headmistress shook her head sadly.

"This is out of my hands, Potter."

* * *

She led the 3 of them through the school, and to the statue of an eagle in the hall. "Professor Dumbledore will be waiting for you." She said, gesturing towards the stone statue. Harry hesitantly followed the transfers to stand next to the statue, looking up at it as McGonagall said the password and the eagle began rotating upwards to reveal a hidden staircase. The boys stepped on it as it slowly spun upwards, and they stepped off when it stopped in front of a passage. They opened a door at the end and stepped into a large room, the walls, like half of the school, covered with those (In Shouta's opinion creepy) strange moving paintings.

The transfers followed Harry as he walked towards the big desk in the middle of the room, looking around in curiosity. Hitsugaya glared at the sorting hat placed in between the few bookshelves as it conversed with Harry. Shouta walked up to a phoenix perched behind the desk, smiling softly. Hitsugaya stood farther off, looking slightly uncomfortable in the small room. Shouta pet the bird softly, Harry coming up behind him and grinning. Shouta pulled back reluctantly as the bird burst into bright flames, falling to ashes on the plate beneath its perch. Harry stared at the ashes in shock as both Hitsugaya and Shouta just sighed.

"Harry? Shouta? Toshiro?" Dumbledore's voice inquired from the balcony above them.

"Professor! You're bird, it…" Harry looked dumbfounded as he gestured towards the ashes.

"It was nearing its time of death, Harry." Shouta said quietly, Harry looking at him in confusion. "When a phoenix dies, they burst into flames, and are then reborn through the ashes." He explained as Dumbledore joined them. Harry stepped closer as a baby phoenix popped out of the ashes.

"Ah, fascinating creatures, phoenixes… They can carry immensely heavy loads and their tears have healing powers…" Dumbledore murmured as Harry grinned at the newborn creature.

Hagrid suddenly burst into the room hysterically, rushing up towards them. "Professor Dumbledore sir, wait, listen. It wasn't Harry."

"Hagrid."

"And I'm sure these boys didn't do it either. I'd be prepared to swear in front of the Ministry of Magic." The large man babbled.

"Hagrid!" Dumbledore shouted, and the man shut up instantly. "I do not believe that these boys attacked anything." Dumbledore clarified, Hagrid opening his mouth to say something, before Shouta butted in.

"Hagrid-san, we understand your concern, but whether anyone believes us or not, the truth will remain the truth." Hagrid nodded in slight surprise, walking away as he muttered something about going to wait outside.

"You don't think we did it, Professor?" Harry asked, turning back to the older man.

"No, Harry, I do not think it was you, but I must ask you, is there… something you wish to tell me?" He looked at Harry, who shifted uncomfortably under the older man's stare. After awhile, Harry shook his head. At that moment, Hitsugaya's cell buzzed, and he read through the message, his frown growing deeper as he read.

"Headmaster, there's something we need to speak to you about privately." The shinigami captain spoke up, looking at Harry as he said 'privately'. The older man nodded.

"Alright then… off you go." He gestured towards Harry, who scuttled out of the room.

* * *

As Harry walked through the corridors towards the Gryffindor tower entrance, he noticed a boy of about 15 or 16, not wearing the school uniform and looking oddly out of place. His long, messy brown hair gave him an out-of-bed look, and half-lidded hazel eyes behind large, round glasses similar to Harry's own.

"Excuse me, but who are you?" Harry asked, the boy looking up curiously as he spoke.

"You can see me?" The boy asked, smirking. Harry nodded, confused. "I'm Manabu Hara, a Ravenclaw 5th year. I'm in my spirit form, so it's surprising you can see me."

"Spirit form?"

"It's a Japanese magic in the form of meditation. Of course, you can't do it when you're dead. When you do this, you're spirit will leave your body, and you can move around at will. Most people shouldn't be able to see you, and if you will it, you can pass through walls." Manabu explained, grinning impishly.

"Then what are you doing here?" Harry asked, suddenly fascinated by this strange boy.

"I'm waiting."

"For who?"

"Shouta. I have something to say to him." The boy frowned angrily.

"You mean he can see people in spirit form too?" Manabu paused, as if debating how to answer.

"Shouta isn't what he says he is." The boy started, earning a puzzled look from Harry. "To put it bluntly, he's a murderer. He's killed thousands of people, even the girl he loved, all mercilessly. He says that it was to protect his sister and those he cared about, but I don't believe him. He murdered my parents right in front of my own eyes, and he got away with it all claiming it to be self-defense. I want to confront him and deal with him myself." Fury and raw hatred flashed over Manabu's features, Harry taking a step back in fright. "Also, he's not Shouta Watanabe. He's Shouta Izu-"

"Hara!" A familiar and angry voice shouted, stopping him in midsentence. Harry and Manabu whirled around to see a shocked Shouta and pissed off Hitsugaya nearby. Shouta stomped over, shoving Harry out of the way. aH"What the hell are you doing here?!" He snapped angrily.

"I'm a student here, what else?" The boy retorted, venom lacing his voice.

Shouta glared at him, before glancing at Harry, fear showing as he backed away. Shouta's eyes widened before whirling back to Manabu, his emerald eyes now mere slits. "You didn't…" Shouta hissed angrily.

"I only told him most of it. He still doesn't know your true identity. Though he would've known if you hadn't shown up." Manabu sneered back. "I _will_ get my revenge, Shouta. And there's nothing you can do to stop me." He seethed as his spirit slowly dissipated, going back to his body in the dorm room.

"Dammit." Shouta hissed, his hands now balled into fists. He glared at Harry, his expression softening as he saw the boy's fearful expression. "I haven't seen someone look at me like that for a long time…" He murmured, memories flashing through his head. He pushed the memories out of the way, slowly stepping towards Harry, who took backed up twice as fast.

Sighing, Shouta took off his ring and pulled out his wand, handing them to Hitsugaya. He held his hands up as he slowly began stepping back towards Harry. "C'mon, Harry. I'm disarmed, I won't hurt you." He soothed quietly, Harry regaining his confidence and pulling out his wand, pointing it at the brunette.

"Explain. What was he talking about? You're a murderer?!" Harry demanded, hurt blending with his harsh and angry tone. Shouta looked at him sadly, slowly bringing his hands down.

"Was, Harry. Was. I never killed innocent people, only criminals who had gotten away without punishment. That's all."

"But then what about Manabu's parents?"

"They… weren't killed by me. At least, his mother wasn't. I was after his dad, who pulled out a pistol before pointing it at me. When Mr. Hara realized that his threat wasn't working, he shot his wife before shooting at me. I killed him out of anger, since he had mercilessly killed the woman he loved." Shouta explained, his soft voice turning harsh when he talked about the wife's death.

"Didn't you kill the woman you loved too?" Harry snapped. Despair, sadness, and fury flashed through the brunette's stricken face, and Harry had a feeling he had made the wrong move. Seeing this, Hitsugaya dove towards them, pushing Harry aside as he held the infuriated Shouta down.

"Don't you _ever_ talk about that with him, Potter. It's forbidden. Taboo." Hitsugaya snapped, before turning to the struggling boy underneath him. "You'll find her, Shouta. You can't kill anyone, for her sake. She doesn't want you to hurt others, Shouta. She doesn't want you to hurt yourself." He soothed, Shouta slowly calming down as the fury slowly left his eyes, leaving only an unbearable sorrow. Hitsugaya slowly got off of the boy, helping him up.

"Harry… leave, please... Just… go." Shouta leaned against the wall, looking worn and tired, as he slowly slid into a sitting position.

* * *

**If you're wondering, Shouta and Hitsugaya were telling Dumbledore that their 'Headmaster' thinks that their enemies and Voldemort (Moldy-mart!) have teamed up, or something like that. And we have drama! This turned out to be a really long chapter, but I'm really pleased with the part with Manabu and Shouta's dramatic scene. **


	8. Christmas & Hermione, The Next Victim

Hello again! You already know that **bold is Japanese** by now, (hopefully) but I have a new one! Underlined is now texting or emailing or just the content of a letter. That's all, please review!

* * *

"But it's Christmas! Are you sure you don't want to come back, at least for today? We need someone to eat all the presents from Ukitake-san." Urahara whined over the phone, Shouta rolling his eyes sarcastically.

"Then come visit us. It's not like there's that many students here anyways. And if you really want to get rid of that junk, bring it all here. The kids will finish it off in no time." The brunette replied, groaning inwardly when Urahara said he'd be right over.

"Who was that?" Hitsugaya asked, watching him as he hung up and angrily stuffed his phone in his bag.

"Urahara. He's coming over to say hi and drop off Ukitake's 'presents'. C'mon, let's head to lunch." Hitsugaya groaned as he nodded, reluctantly putting his book down and following Shouta out of the library and towards the Great Hall.

By the time they got there, Urahara was waving from the Gryffindor table, a giant sack behind him. Hitsugaya noticed the black cat smirking at them from the man's shoulder. They reluctantly sat by Urahara, Harry eyeing them suspiciously as they sat. The cat nimbly jumped onto the table in front of the 2, Shouta reaching out absently to pet her. "Hey, Yoruichi." He muttered, his elbow resting on the table and head resting in his hand with an exhausted air about him.

"So what's in the bag?" Hitsugaya asked, though he already knew the answer.

"Candy!" Urahara replied cheerily, opening the bag up to show much more candy than the bag could possibly hold. "I had to use some magic to get it all to fit, though. The stuff really comes in handy." Several kids sprung up from their seats to gather round, asking if they could have some. Shouta took out a lollipop and a packet of gum before gesturing towards the other students.

"Take it. Please." Hitsugaya muttered. The kids swarmed around a flustered Urahara, and within 15 seconds or less, the candy had completely disappeared along with the students, who were drifting back to their respective seats. Shouta popped the lollipop into his mouth casually, raising an eyebrow.

"Still don't like candy?" The captain just shrugged. "Well, anyways, Merry Christmas!" Shouta handed the boy a small package, which he took in surprise. Hitsugaya looked at Shouta curiously, who gestured for him to open it. He did, albeit almost reluctantly, eyes widening as he stared at the gift before him. Inside the picture frame, Shouta, him, Ukitake, Rangiku, Momo, Ichigo, and a few others were smiling and waving at the picture. Then there was a bit of silent shouting, angry looks, and the scene in the picture became chaos.

"Snape taught me the potion to making a picture move. It's really from everyone back home, I just developed it. That small bag is from me." Shouta grinned at the captain's stunned face as he looked back and forth between the brunette and the picture. "Well? Open mine." Shouta pointed towards the small bag next to the picture. Hitsugaya nodded mutely, at a loss for words as he opened the 2nd gift.

Hitsugaya pulled out a sterling silver chain necklace. Hanging from the chain was a single white crystal, looking closely related to ice. When the crystal moved and caught sunlight, it cast a teal light, the same color as Hitsugaya's eyes. "This is… amazing." He murmured, stunned.

"The famous child prodigy Toshiro Hitsugaya is stunned speechless!" Shouta exclaimed, laughing cheerily. "I'm going to go with the fact that you really, really like it."

"That's a serious understatement." Hitsugaya muttered, slipping it on. "How much did this cost?" He looked incredulously at the grinning brunette.

Shouta laughed again. "Don't worry about it, my family needs to get rid of the money. Besides, you're like family to me. I'm sure my sister would agree too."

"Well… here, this is yours." Hitsugaya muttered, thrusting a large package wrapped in green paper into Shouta's hands. Shouta opened it slowly, curious at what the ice captain would get for him.

"Oh god…" Shouta murmured, gently running a hand over the sleek acoustic guitar, looking good as new. He ran his fingers repeatedly over an inscribed signature at the base. "How did you fix this? It was shattered to pieces." He murmured, awestruck. He could remember clearly the day Rangiku had accidently dropped it over a building, and how it had broken into a million pieces.

"You said it was the only good memory of your father, so I figured it was really precious. And since we learned how to use that spell in class…" Hitsugaya explained, embarrassed.

"Thanks, Shiro-chan!" Shouta looked at him happily, a large childish grin plastered on his face. Hitsugaya opened his mouth to reprimand the other about the nickname, but gave up with a sigh, trying to remember the last time he had seen someone like Shouta smile like that.

* * *

"You sure you don't want to see the Quidditch match? You are a Gryffindor." Shouta Izukai **(whoops, Watanabe)** asked as they headed towards the hospital wing to get the potion from Madame Pomfrey. Hitsugaya shook his head.

"No, I'm not interested. Besides, on the off chance this potion really does cure your scars, I'd like to see that." Hitsugaya replied. They raised an eyebrow simultaneously at Ron and Harry, who were staring in shock at one of the occupied beds. Upon closer inspection, they could see a petrified Hermione. Shouta frowned, a cross look taking form.

"We really need to find out where that basilisk is being kept." He muttered, turning around swiftly to leave, when Hitsugaya placed a firm hand on his shoulder.

"I'll look. You take that potion." Knowing there would be no arguing with the captain, Shouta nodded reluctantly, watching the other hurry down the corridor.

* * *

Hitsugaya sat in the Gryffindor common room that afternoon, skimming through some old blueprints of the school, when Ms. McGonagall came into the room, not looking very happy. He half listened as she told them about the new rules, frowning slightly when he realized it would be harder to search for the entrance to the Chamber. When the woman left, Hitsugaya pulled out his cell and began texting, his thumb moving swiftly over the little keypad.

Meet me in the dark forest tonight.

He got a reply back soon after from Shouta.

No problem, but what about the new rules? On the off chance we get caught, we'll be in big trouble. Not to mention we shouldn't be in the dark forest in the first place.

Who cares. Just get your lazy ass over there within the next 3 hours.


	9. Villains Return

The basilisk scene! Voldemort isn't the only enemy that comes back... Anyways, please review and thanks for reading! I'll update as soon as possible!

* * *

"**Finally. What the hell took you so long?**" Hitsugaya asked, leaning against one of the large, dank trees. He glared as Shouta trudged into sight.

"**Excuse me if that Malfoy brat can't keep his annoying assumptions to himself.**" Shouta replied, cursing under his breath. "**Anyways, what are we doing here?**"

"**We were going to contact the Soul Society for some information.**" Hitsugaya sighed, opening his mouth to continue when Shouta interrupted.

"**Information on what? And wait, **_**were**_**?**" Shouta looked at him in confusion, the white-haired prodigy sighing in exasperation.

"**We need more information on the basilisk, and it's too dangerous to do so in the school, where there could be eavesdroppers. And we **_**were**_** going to contact the Soul Society, until 2 idiotic **_**boys**_** decided they needed to go prove that half-giant's innocence and take a hike in the forest.**" Shouta slapped his forehead in exasperation.

"**I had a feeling… so I'm guessing we're following them?**" Hitsugaya nodded, and the 2 flash stepped into the trees after Ron Weasley and Harry Potter.

* * *

"Harry, I don't like this." Ron whined as they followed the horde of spiders. "Harry, I don't like this at all."

"Shush." Ron looked away as Harry peered at the opening the spiders crawled through.

"Can we go back now?" Ron whimpered, Shouta snickering as he watched from above.

"C'mon," Harry said, ignoring the redhead's whimpering. He climbed into the opening, Ron following reluctantly. Shouta jumped to the next tree as the 2 of them climbed out of the tunnel, Harry holding up his lamp as he looked around.

"Who is it?" Rumbled an unfamiliar voice from the shadows. Hitsugaya leaped down onto a lower branch, squinting to see what was there. "Hagrid? Is that you?"

"W-we're friends of Hagrid." Harry stuttered, Ron looking as if he would faint at any moment. Climbing out of the shadows, as Ron and Harry backed away slowly, was a giant, 8-legged arachnid, far bigger than any truck. "A-and you, you're Aragog aren't you?"

"Yes. Hagrid had never sent men into our forest before." The spider rasped.

"He's in trouble. Up at the school there have been attacks. They think it's Hagrid. They think he opened the Chamber of Secrets. Like before." Harry explained nervously as Ron looked around them in horror.

"You're the one in trouble, dumbass." Shouta muttered under his breath, his gun forming as he pointed it at the spider. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Hitsugaya doing the same with his sword.

He perked up when he heard the spider's ominous voice rasp. "Goodbye, friend of Hagrid."

"Can we panic now?" Ron squeaked nervously. Harry swatted away several spiders with the lamp before setting it aside and pulling out his wand. "Know any spells?"

"One. But it's not powerful enough for all of them." Harry replied, standing back to back with Ron.

"Where's Hermione when you need her?" Ron whimpered.

"God fucking hell, you should know a trap when you're in one." Shouta called out, jumping down from his spot in the trees. He shot a spider as it leaped towards a whimpering Ron.

"Sh-Sh-Shouta?" Ron whimpered. "What're you doing here? And why do you have a gun?"

"Well apparently, I'm here to protect you idiots. And this _gun_ happens to be a family heirloom." Shouta snapped back, shooting another spider. "And are you going to help or not?!" He shouted up towards the trees, where a reluctant Hitsugaya hopped down and landed beside him, holding a sword.

"Why do you have a sword?" Ron squeaked. Hitsugaya calmly sliced a spider's leg in half and sighed in exasperation.

"It's called a zanpaktou. And I'll explain _after_ we get out of here." As if on cue, a battered blue car came speeding into view, stopping right in front of Harry and Ron. The doors swung open, and Hitsugaya raised an eyebrow at the empty seats.

"There's our ride." Shouta muttered, hopping inside. The others quickly followed suit. Spiders jumped onto the car as the last door closed, pounding on the windows to open it.

"Go!" Harry screamed, Ron driving full speed backwards into the tunnel they had arrived in, successfully knocking off the last of the spiders. They stopped, Ron sighing in relief.

"Don't stop!" Shouta shrieked, reaching for the wheel. Out of nowhere, a spider latched onto Ron, the screaming hysterically. "Fucking hell Weasley, stop moving, it's hard to aim!" Shouta screamed angrily as he shot several bullets, nearly hitting Ron twice.

"Stop! You'll hit him!" Harry shouted, reaching for the gun.

"I'm trying not to get him covered in blood! But if you really want me to stop, then fine!" Shouta snapped back, moving closer until his gun touched the spider's head. He pulled the trigger, the arachnid's blood splattering all over him and Ron.

"Scourgify." Hitsugaya muttered with a flick of his wand. The blood was instantly cleaned up, and Shouta sat back, his gun morphing back into a ring.

"Before you ask any questions, can we _please_ get out of here?" Shouta muttered, sighing in exhaustion. Ron nodded calmly, leaning back in relief. But the peace didn't last long, as Ron whimpered and Harry stared in horror as an army of spiders started crawling towards them, Ron whimpering again.

"Get out of here." Harry breathed, pushing himself back in his seat. "NOW!" Ron nodded, looking back as he drove as fast the car would go backwards out of the forest. Ron swiveled the car around, he and Harry screaming as the car spun forward and jerked to a start.

The sped past trees and arachnids, Harry screaming to get them in the air. "It's stuck!" Ron shrieked back, the lever not working.

"Let me do that!" Shouta screamed back at him, reaching for the lever and jerking it forward. The car rose into the air, crashing into a few spiders along the way. Ron drove out of the forest and into the air, soaring for a couple moments before landing just outside. The 4 of them tumbled out of the car, Ron and Harry scared out of their wits. The car drove away, Ron screaming profanities about how they shouldn't have followed the spiders. "Will you _shut up_!" Shouta shrieked, Hitsugaya sighing and pulling out a cell phone. The boys quieted down as they watched Hitsugaya talk rapid Japanese into the cell.

"**Urahara-san, will you shut up for a moment and listen?**" Hitsugaya growled, Shouta smirking as the temperature dropped slightly. "**We need more information on the school's layout and basilisks, as well as Slytherin Salazar.**" Shouta sighed as he watched Hitsugaya argue with the man on the other line for a moment, before Hitsugaya sighed in frustration and tossed the phone to Shouta. "You deal with him." He muttered.

"Sure, sure. Whatever you say." Shouta replied sarcastically as he held the phone up to his ear. After a moment of listening, he sighed angrily. "Let me put this in English then, you idiotic hat-freak. We need information on the school, Slytherin's founder, and basilisks!" He pronounced each syllable clearly, before throwing the cell onto the ground in frustration. "He gets it, and have him pay for any damages, it's his fault." Shouta muttered, seeming to have forgotten that Ron and Harry were there.

"Why do you need information on that stuff?" Ron asked suspiciously, his hand reaching for his wand.

"Same as you. We're trying to find out who's behind the attacks." Shouta retorted, his right hand twitching. "Besides, you don't need to know the details, it's too dangerous. At least you know this Hagrid dude is innocent." Hitsugaya then spoke up, snapping at Shouta in Japanese. The brunette reluctantly nodded, the two of them disappearing into thin air.

* * *

Shouta and Hitsugaya watched as the teachers gathered around the blood-written message: Her skeleton will lie in the chamber forever. "This is bad. We need to hurry up and find that entrance." Hitsugaya murmured, Shouta nodding in quick agreement. They watched, amused, as suddenly Gilderoy Lockhart was chosen to go to the Chamber of Secrets and find the kidnapped girl.

"This may be easier than we thought. If all goes well, we might be able to use him and find the chamber before tomorrow." Shouta muttered, turning to leave.

"You're getting rusty, Izukai. Haven't you noticed the reiatsu of 2 idiots?" Hitsugaya muttered, gesturing towards a corner where a spot of red hair was hidden. "They're probably more useful than that good-for-nothing professor.

* * *

Both transfers watched from inside the stall as Harry questioned Moaning Myrtle about her death. They slowly stepped out as they heard Ron and Harry screaming as they fell down the entrance to the Chamber. "I'm guessing we're following them?" Shouta muttered, wrinkling his nose slightly.

"We don't have a choice. What good would it do to have 4 people dying down there instead of just one." Hitsugaya replied, before jumping down the hole.

"Have I ever mentioned that I _really_ don't like basilisks in secret chambers?" Shouta muttered, before reluctantly jumping in after the captain. He slid down, being faintly reminded of a water slide, before landing roughly on a pile of white bones. "Ow…" He muttered, standing up.

"What're you two doing down here?!" Ron yelled, looking at them incredulously.

"I could say the same for you." Shouta snapped back. "Well, since we're all down here, we might as well work together." He suggested, jumping up into one of the passageways. Harry and Hitsugaya quickly followed him, Ron forcing Lockhart to do the same, before climbing in after the older man. They ran through a few different areas, before coming upon a cave and a giant heap of exoskeleton.

"What the bloody hell is this?" Ron muttered as Hitsugaya bent down to inspect it.

"Snake skin." The white-haired shinigami replied, standing up.

"Bloody hell." The redhead muttered again. Beside him, Lockhart collapsed. "Heart of a liar, this one."

"Hey, watch out!" Shouta shouted as Lockhart snatched Ron's wand, stumbling up. He pointed it at the other 3, grinning like a maniac.

"The adventure ends here, boys." He proclaimed, pointing the wand from Harry to Hitsugaya, to Shouta, to Ron. "But don't worry, the whole world will know of our story. How I was too late to save the girl… how you 4 tragically lost your minds at the sight of her mangled body. So, you first, Mr. Watanabe." The man said, pointing Ron's wand at him threateningly. He waved the wand, a green light erupting from the wand… and backfiring back towards him, the (former) professor flying backwards before hitting the wall and landing roughly on the ground.

There was a low rumbling sound as rocks and small boulders tumbled from other openings, separating the group. Shouta leapt towards Hitsugaya at the last minute, dust shrouding the scene. "Harry! Are you guys alright?!" Ron shouted from the other side as the dust cleared. Harry clambered up the rocks from his side, seeing Ron and a knocked out Lockhart through the other side.

"I'm fine!" Harry replied before looking around to see Hitsugaya kneeling by Shouta, whose left leg was trapped under the rocks. He turned back to Ron. "Toshiro's alright too, but Shouta's leg is trapped under the rocks!"

There was a pained yelp as Hitsugaya forcefully shoved the giant boulder off Shouta's leg, prodding the limb in several places. "Be gentle dammit!" Shouta hissed, swatting at Hitsugaya's hand.

"The bone's crushed. I can perform a healing kido, but you'll still need a splint." Hitsugaya murmured, hands hovering over the bloodied leg as a soft green light enveloped it.

"Harry, how's Lockhart?" Shouta called, wincing when his leg moved slightly. The boy clambered back down the rock pile, and towards the two.

"Apparently he lost all his memories. Ron just knocked him out. I'm going to go look for Ginny." He made a move to run off, when Shouta spoke up.

"You're not going anywhere without us. It's way too dangerous by yourself." The brunette snapped.

"Ferula." Hitsugaya muttered, Shouta's leg now held together by a splint and bandages.

"Too dangerous? You can't even walk!" Harry retorted, gesturing wildly towards the mangled leg.

"I'm fine. Besides, if I have too, I can try using one of those healing spells." Shouta snapped as Hitsugaya helped him up.

"You probably shouldn't do that. You didn't last when you tried to learn healing kido." Hitsugaya muttered.

"That's only because Unohana was frickin' evil! When I was alive I took care of myself plenty, and I got a lot of injuries."

"That was only bullet wounds and sword wounds. If a bone breaks, you have no idea what to do." Hitsugaya replied as they trudged/limped over to Harry. "Anyways, let's get moving."

The 3 of them, wands at the ready, swiftly walked through the only open passage, coming upon a closed door, 6 snakes covering it. Harry spoke in Parseltongue, which Shouta presumed meant 'open', and 5 snakes curled in while the 5th one slithered around the perimeter before the door swung open. Harry cautiously stepped in first, the transfers not far behind.

They walked down the giant path that opened up before them, giant stone snake heads lining either side, a man's head at the end. Harry walked as cautiously as the others, until he saw a certain redheaded girl lying unconscious on the ground. "Ginny." The raven muttered, racing towards the girl. He knelt by her side, urging her to wake up.

"Harry." Shouta snapped, jerking his head towards a nearby passage. Walking towards them calmly, was a boy who Harry almost immediately identified as Tom Riddle. Shouta and Hitsugaya glared at him silently, watching from a little further away as he headed swiftly towards Harry.

Yes, Harry, it was Ginny who opened the Chamber of Secrets." Tom stated, an ominous aura seeming to reach out from him.

No… she wouldn't." Harry replied, shaking his head as he eyed his wand in Tom's hand.

"It was Ginny who set the basilisk on the mudbloods and Filch's cat. It was Ginny who wrote the messages on the walls."

"Why?" Harry questioned, anger seeping slightly into his voice.

"Because he told her too." Shouta butt in, whipping out his wand and pointing it at Tom. Tom glared at him and continued his little speech, Harry's expression becoming more and more furious.

"You… you're the heir of Slytherin." Harry muttered as Tom rearranged the letters of his name into 'I am Lord Voldemort'. "You're Voldemort…" Realization dawned on the boy, Hitsugaya growling deep in his throat. The wand in Shouta's hand quickly replaced with his gun.

"Don't shoot." A cold, steely voice commanded, filling both boys with dread.

"You… You're still alive?" Shouta growled taking a step forward, his gun now trained on the man before him.

"Thanks to Lord Aizen and Lord Voldemort, I was revived in Hueco Mundo." The man replied, smiling evilly.

"Raynaulski." Fury danced in Shouta's eyes as he tightened his grip on the trigger. A cry suddenly rang out through the chamber, everyone's heads snapping up as Fawks the phoenix flew in, carrying something in its claws. The bird dropped its load in Harry's hands, who quickly unfolded it to reveal a hat.

Riddle scoffed. "So this is what Dumbledore sends his great defender. A song bird, and an old _hat_." He backed away a few steps, still smirking. He reached his hand out towards the statue of the head, speaking in Parseltongue. The mouth of the statue slowly opened "Let's match the power of Lord Voldemort, heir of Salazar Slytherin, against the famous, Harry Potter." Voldemort said, turning around, the smirk on his face widening.

"Harry! Run!" Shouta shrieked as the basilisk slithered out. Harry complied and ran in the opposite direction, past the transfers and Raynaulski, who all had their eyes shut. Shouta's eyes cracked open as Harry fell forward. Shouta and Hitsugaya rushed forward to help, only to be stopped as a sword ran its way through Shouta's injured leg and Hitsugaya's stomach.

"You shouldn't let your guard down." Raynaulski sneered, his dark brown hair swept back in a similar fashion to Aizen's, red eyes narrowing down at his prey hungrily.

Another shriek like earlier sounded and the trio looked up as Fawks returned, attacking the basilisk. "NO! Your bird may have blinded the basilisk, but it can still hear you!" Riddle shrieked, as the giant snake shook off Fawks. Its head swiveled from side to side, until a crack sounded under Harry's feet, and the monster immediately lunged in his direction. Shouta struggled to get up, his broken leg now bloodied and useless.

"Dammit… AVADA KEDAVRA!" he shrieked his wand pointed at the quickly moving basilisk, a sickly green light shooting from the wand. The snake dropped dead, almost crushing Harry with its head.

"How dare you!" Voldemort screeched pointing the wand in his hand at the brunette. Shouta quickly switched the wand to his left hand, his gun materializing as he pointed both weapons at the villain. Hitsugaya had his own wand pointed at Raynaulski, whose sword was poised above their heads. Harry stood there, watching, a dumbfounded and confused look on his face.

"Potter! Get the book! Get the book in Ginny's hands!" Hitsugaya screeched. Harry snapped out of his state, rushing forwards.

"Harry! There's a switchblade in my back pocket! Use it!" Shouta screamed, keeping his eyes trained on the frantic Tom Riddle. Harry rushed over, bent down and grabbed the weapon out of the brunette's pocket, before rushing towards Ginny and, incidentally, Voldemort.

"No!" Riddle screamed as he lunged for Harry. The Boy-Who-Lived dove for Ginny's still form as Riddle spun towards him.

"Expelliarmus!" Shouta shouted, the wand flying out of Voldemort's hand. He barely had time to register what was going on as Raynaulski swung his sword down on the brunette's head.

"Expulso!" Hitsugaya snapped, and the sword exploded, sending Raynaulski flying backwards. He winced as he struggled to stand, one hand clutching his stomach while the other pointed his wand threateningly at Voldemort. "Don't move." He growled, slowly stepping closer as his eyes narrowed dangerously. Harry had by now grabbed the journal, and lifting the knife above it, stabbed the journal.

Ink leaked from the hole in the diary, a glowing hole opening up in Tom's chest. Ink continued to spurt out, and the hole in the dark lord's body got bigger. He lunged for Harry, who stabbed the journal again. He continued to glow, screaming in pain all the while. Harry closed the book and stabbed it one last time, and Tom Riddle burst into a shower of light.

Ginny awoke almost immediately. She sat up, turning around when Harry murmured her name. "Ginny…"

"Harry. It was me. I swear, I didn't mean to. Riddle made me, and…" Her eyes widened as she looked at the scrape on Harry's arm. "You're hurt."

"Did the basilisk get you before I got to it?" Shouta asked as he and Hitsugaya stumbled towards the two, their injuries mostly healed thanks to a few healing spells and kido.

Harry nodded mutely. "Yes, but I'm alright. It was just the tooth." Hitsugaya looked at him in alarm.

"The venom on a basilisk's teeth are poisonous." The shinigami captain spoke up in worry.

Harry ignored him. "Ginny, you need to get yourself out of here. Follow the chamber, and you'll find Ron." There was a squawk as Fawks landed beside Harry. It leaned over Harry's wound, and a few tears leaked from its eye, landing on Harry's injury. The wound healed, disappearing completely as Ginny stared, wide-eyed.

"Let's get out of here. Harry's no longer poisoned, Ginny is safe, and the transfer students are about to die from exhaustion and blood loss. The victims should be back to normal soon, and now we know that Hogwarts won't close down. Can we _please_ get moving?" Shouta proclaimed loudly, leaning heavily on a large staff that had come from nowhere. Harry smirked.

"Sure."


	10. Welcome Back Hagrid & Hermione!

It was dinner, everything and everyone cheerful and happy. Several people greeted Sir Nicholas as he floated by, returning their greeting enthusiastically. The ghost eyed the shinigami captain warily, before quickly moving on. "I completely forgot. We need to take care of those guys. If they keep avoiding us, people might get suspicious." Shouta muttered, once again sitting at the Gryffindor table. By this point, everyone had learned to accept this, though some of the Gryffindors still gave him a few glares.

"Harry, look!" Neville spoke up, jerking his head towards the entrance. Everyone that had heard Neville looked in the direction he was gesturing in, to see Hermione standing nervously in the doorway. Harry and Ron grinned, before jumping up and rushing towards her as she ran towards them. They joined together, Harry and Hermione hugging while she shook Ron's hand awkwardly.

"W-welcome back Hermione." Ron stuttered, trying to look professional.

"It's good to be back." She replied giddily, looking between the both of them. They chatted together for awhile, before Professor McGonagall caught everyone's attention.

The golden trio hurried to sit back down as Dumbledore stood up, a hush sweeping over the crowd of students. "Before we begin the feast, let us have a round of applause for Professor Sprout, Madame Pomfrey, whose mandrake juice has been so successfully administered to all who had been petrified." The hall filled with an enthusiastic applause, with the exception of most of the Slytherin table. "Also in light of recent events, as a school treat, all exams have been cancelled." The applause this time was even louder than before, some students even rising from their seats. Dumbledore sat down as the applause continued.

The doors opened then, revealing a very happy-looking half-giant walking through. "Sorry I'm late." He said, nodding and looking pleased. The crowd went silent as they noticed Hagrid standing there. Hagrid thanked the boys and Hermione for all they'd done, and soon was embraced in a firm hug by Harry. Dumbledore stood back up, clapping. McGonagall did the same, as did Harry. Soon the whole hall was standing and applauding for a very embarrassed Hagrid, including the Slytherins (except for Malfoy and his goons). Many students stood and went up to Hagrid to shake his hand.

Even Hitsugaya couldn't help but smirk. Shouta nudged him, careful not to hit his stomach. "Well, the mission can wait, at least for tonight. Tonight, we should just enjoy ourselves, don't you agree?"

* * *

**And that's it! The end of book 2 of the Harry Potter series. I have never read the books, I've just seen the movies, so please have pity on me. The Prisoner of Azkaban starts in the next chapter. The boggart will be a lot of fun! :D**


	11. Dementor

**Hi everyone! Sorry it took so long to get this chapter up, school is being a pain in the butt. Anyways, I just wanted to say that I'm not very satisfied with the title, so TITLE SUGGESTIONS ARE WELCOME! Thank you!**

* * *

"Here we are! The Leaky Cauldron!" Urahara announced cheerfully, waving his fan in front of his face. "Yoruichi and I will be staying as well, until you get on the train anyways." He continued as he pushed the 2 reluctant boys inside the pub. Yoruichi, in her human form, helped him.

"**Urahara-san, tell me again why we have to go again?!**" Shouta muttered, pushing away Urahara's hand as he sat down at a table.

"Isn't it obvious? Aizen and He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named have teamed up, _and_ Raynaulski's somehow been revived. You need to stay until the threats have been taken care of." Yoruichi replied, giving the brunette a nudge.

"Hey, Shouta! Toshiro!" Hermione called when she saw the 2 sit down. She moved over to sit next to them, followed by Ron and the Weasley twins.

"It's Hitsugaya."

"Right. Anyways, what're you doing here? I thought you were only staying for a year." The bushy haired girl asked, combing a bit through her hair.

"We were, but... problems, arose so we're to stay here until they've been taken care of." Shouta explained, asking Urahara to order him a soda. The man obliged, although he did ask for a fee. Shouta smacked his hat off.

"What kind of problems?" Ron asked, waving as Harry headed towards them, sitting down.

"Did you tell them about… that incident?" Shouta asked as Harry sat down. The boy nodded.

"Well, then you already know about the guy with the sword right?" Ron and Hermione nodded. "Well… he was hired by Vol-er… You-Know-Who and an enemy of ours, Aizen. He's a mass murderer more famous than Green. His name's Raynaulski." Hermione gasped, Harry's eyes bugged out, and Ron stared at him in confusion.

"Who?"

"Raynaulski. He's an internationally famous serial killer that has been killing for decades. He disappeared 15 years ago in Japan, for awhile they say he died. He's killed a lot of people, mostly in Europe and Japan. He's most famous for killing Melissa Myres, the wife of Mr. Izukai." Hermione explained impatiently, slightly irritated that Ron didn't know anything.

"Oh, yeah."

* * *

The whistle blew loudly as the train started out of the train station, Hitsugaya and Shouta pushing irritably through the throng to find an open compartment. "C'mon, there probably won't be another quiet compartment anywhere else." Shouta muttered, jerking his head towards a compartment that was nearly empty. They quickly shuffled inside, throwing their trunks above them with ease. Hitsugaya once again sat by the window, Shouta collapsing near the door on the seat across from the shinigami. He glanced at the man sleeping by the window, face covered by a black blanket.

Their peace was short-lived, however, as the golden trio headed into the compartment, Ron and Hermione sitting next to Hitsugaya while Harry sat in between Shouta and the sleeping man. "Guess we're sitting with you guys again huh?" Harry spoke up, trying to seem cheerful. Shouta nodded absently, leaning his head against the window facing the small hallway.

"Who's that?" Ron suddenly asked, gesturing towards the stranger.

"Professor R.J. Lupin." Hermione replied immediately.

"You know everything!" Ron retorted incredulously.

"It's on his suitcase idiot." Shouta muttered, closing his eyes irritably.

It started to rain as Harry suddenly launched into a confession about Sirius Black coming after him and whatever else, Hitsugaya choosing to tune him out. As the three continued to converse, Shouta eventually began to doze off, the conversation starting to bore him. He was jerked awake as the train began to screech to a stop.

"What's going on? Why are we stopping?" Hermione questioned, looking around. "We shouldn't be there yet." The lights went out after a final jerk, the golden trio looking around in alarm. Shouta and Hitsugaya seemed relax, though both were tensed slightly in anticipation.

The room slowly began to get colder, Ron muttering, "There's something moving out there." The glass sitting next to the stranger froze over, and Shouta sent Hitsugaya a questioning glance. But the white-haired prodigy just shrugged, as confused as he was.

Not long after, a gnarly, bone-thin hand reached out, silently willing the door open. Both Hitsugaya and Shouta leaped from their seats, Shouta's hand twitching while Hitsugaya unconsciously reached behind him for his zanpaktou. The door slowly opened, revealing an almost ghost-like creature covered in a black cloak that covered its face. Hitsugaya's eyes widened as he realized that this being didn't have a soul.

The dementor seemed to look around the cabin, Hitsugaya falling to his knees as he grasped the small side table by the window. Shouta, who was much closer to the thing, fell to the ground, his breathing coming in small gasps. Harry stared as the thing seemed to look back. Upon closer look, Hitsugaya could see what looked to be Harry's soul being sucked towards the demon. It was at that moment that the man called Lupin stood up, casting some spell that repelled the dementor away. It was then that Harry fell to the ground, twitching.

A few seconds after the dementor left that Shouta suddenly started coughing violently, his breathing ragged. Hitsugaya himself seemed to be having trouble breathing as the professor rubbed the brunette's back in calming circles. Hermione and Ron rushed to Harry, calling his name repeatedly. The boy woke up, slowly sitting up on the seat his friends had lifted him onto as he looked around.

"Eat this, its chocolate." The professor said absently, handing it to Harry as he continued to calm Shouta. The coughing eventually died down, leading to small gasps.

"Are you alright?" Shouta nodded slowly, sitting up with the help of the professor. Hitsugaya, who had regained his strength a little more quickly, walked quickly over to Shouta, roughly pulling him up and practically dragging him towards the window away from the others.

"**What happened to you?**" The captain hissed, as Shouta weakly pulled away and sat down.

"**I suddenly felt like all positive emotions were being sucked out of my body along with my soul itself. I think those are one of those 'soul-sucker' things Urahara-san mentioned.**" Shouta explained.

"What was that thing?" Harry muttered, munching on the chocolate he was given.

"It was a dementor, sent to find mass murderer Sirius Black. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go have a word with the driver." Lupin explained before he got up, waving as he left the compartment.

"What happened to me?" Harry asked after the man had left.

"You collapsed and fainted." Hitsugaya replied, discretely putting a thin layer of ice on the palm of his hand before pressing it to Shouta's forehead. The other swatted away the hand after a few minutes, complaining that now he had a brain freeze.

"Did any of you…" Harry started, looking at the others.

"Shouta did. But he was closer to the dementor, and we're both more sensitive. I think he had more of a violent reaction to it than you did." Hitsugaya answered, not having the patience to listen to Harry's questions.

"I heard someone screaming… a woman." Harry murmured quietly as he looked at his 2 best friends.

"No one was screaming Harry." Hermione replied, shaking her head.

"I think I know where you're coming from. I had a bit of a… vision." Shouta spoke up quietly. Hitsugaya looked at him questioningly from his seat across from the other.

"Vision?"

"A memory." Shouta clarified, giving a glare at the trio that he wouldn't discuss it any further.

* * *

The Great Hall filled with clapping that quickly died down as Dumbledore stood up to make a few announcements. For once, Shouta sat with the Slytherins at their table, smirking at Malfoy as he sat down. "**So what was this memory you saw?**" Hitsugaya asked skeptically after Shouta had moved to the Gryffindor table as usual. A few of the 1st years looked at him in bewilderment with a few glares. The brunette ignored them.

"**I'll tell you later. There are too many people in the Great Hall, so meet me in the library afterwards.**"


	12. Fighting

"**So? Explain.**" Hitsugaya snapped, leaning against the wall at the back of the library. It was long after dinner was over, and all the students were back in their common rooms. Except 2 certain foreigners.

Shouta's eyes wandered for a second, causing Hitsugaya's own turquoise eyes to narrow. "**It… was a memory about my dad, from a long time ago. He was in a business meeting with a few others, most of them in those wizard cloaks. I remember thinking that my dad must be amazing to know wizards. Of course, that was before he… left. Anyways, the important thing is that, when I think back on it, I think that Dumbledore guy was there too.**" He explained.

"**Does that mean something?**" Hitsugaya asked, looking at his 'teammate' with a raised eyebrow.

"**I'm just saying that I think we can trust the headmaster. I mean, I know my dad isn't the best of guys, but he has never met with someone that would potentially harm him or his family. Besides, it would probably be easier to get around and gather information with him on our side. He does own the school after all.**" Shouta suggested, the temperature dropping steeply.

"**It's late. We'll discuss this tomorrow.**" The white-haired boy snapped, walking swiftly out the door. He could almost feel the glare directed at his back.

* * *

By the time Hitsugaya had gotten into the dorm, the whole room was a flurry of feathers, pillows, and idiotic kids laughing their heads off. "Toshiro!" One of them suddenly called out, the shinigami identifying as Neville Longbottom.

"It's Hitsugaya." He muttered darkly as the others turned to look at him.

"Where were you?" Ron asked, suspicion creeping slightly into his voice.

"Library." The other replied, going over to his trunk to grab his clothes and change.

"Doing what?" The redhead continued, the suspicion growing more and more evident.

"Having a little… discussion with Watanabe." Hitsugaya replied immediately.

"That's the first time I've heard you use his last name." Harry pointed out. Hitsugaya cursed their stupid curiousity.

"It's how I normally call him. I only used his first name before as it is the custom here. Now if you would excuse me, I'd like to get some sleep." The others backed off as the temperature became steadily colder. They were still staring when the curtains around the bed had been drawn rather forcefully.

"Did something happen?"

* * *

The following day, neither Hitsugaya or Shouta showed up for classes, missing the crazy Treelawney and Malfoy's 'Buckbeak attack', as Ron had phrased it. Only during the end of dinner did the two appear, glaring darkly at the other. They split up as Shouta sat at the Slytherin table, more than one person raising an eyebrow.

"Did… you two get in a fight or something?" Hermione asked hesitantly as Hitsugaya sat down across from Harry.

"You could say that." Hitsugaya replied quietly, continuing to have a glare-down with Shouta. Dumbledore looked at them with a raised eyebrow from the staff table. "We'll be settling it after dinner." The white-haired boy finally tore his gaze away from the other, grabbing some rice and sushi.

As soon as dinner was over, both boys stood up abruptly, giving each other one last death glare before striding out quickly and easily, several others following them. Harry, Ron, Hermione, Neville, and Ginny raced after Hitsugaya, who turned out to be a really fast walker.

After almost 10 minutes, they finally came to a hallway, looking around for the 2. It wasn't long before they heard shouting from one of the abandoned classrooms to their left. They raced over to it, pulling the door open to see both of the foreigners screaming at each other in rapid Japanese.

"Wha…" Ron muttered, unheard by the 2 engaged in heated argument. They all took a step back in surprise when Shouta swung his fist at the other angrily, Hitsugaya dodging smoothly. The white-haired boy gracefully leapt back a couple feet, watching warily at the fury dancing in the other's eyes. Not noticing the strange group still standing in the doorway, Shouta held his palm flat in front of him, a glowing red ball forming in front of his hand.

Hermione squeaked in surprise, causing Hitsugaya to glance at them, eyes widening when he realized they were there. "**Idiot! Watch it!**" Hitsugaya screamed as he leapt towards the other, pushing Shouta's palm towards the window just as the red ball shot towards it, causing the window and most of the wall around it to disintegrate.

"What the bloody hell was that?!" Ron exclaimed, Shouta's own eyes widening when he realized they were there.

"A form of Japanese magic called Kido." Hitsugaya explained swiftly, before turning back to Shouta. "**Look, I don't know what's been going on with you lately, but you need to calm down. If you keep acting so reckless, you'll blow our cover.**" He snapped, the two going back to glaring at each other.

"**Maybe if we just told Dumbledore, we wouldn't have to worry about that so much. If we tell him now, we won't have to answer the questions that are bound to come later.**" Shouta replied just as angrily.

"**You forget that you're a murderer, **_**Green**_**. It would just make things worse. Besides, we're supposed to be looking for Raynaulski and Aizen, not playing babysitter to these brats.**" Hitsugaya replied, gesturing almost rudely towards Harry and the others.

"**You forget that as of right now we're one of those brats.**" Shouta replied, Hitsugaya's eyes narrowing almost dangerously. Giving up, Shouta just sighed, leaning against one of the desks behind him. "**For now, let's just forget about it. Besides, I have a feeling that tomorrow won't be very fun.**"

* * *

This chapter actually turned out pretty short compared to the others. Sorry if it gets a little boring. I'm kind of having a bit of writer's block at the moment, and I don't really know what to do. Hopefully it'll be more fun in the next chapter, since the boggart appears!


	13. The Boggart

Hello! Sorry if it took too long for me to update. Anyways, **bold is Japanese,** _and italics is a flashback._ Also, I've noticed that the tent thing in my backyard seriously reminds me of Urahara's hat. It has that same green and white stripes, although the green stripes are thicker than the white. But it still reminds me of Urahara and his hat. I love Urahara...

* * *

The students stood in a group in the classroom, staring at the closet shaking before them. Hitsugaya could sense a strange reiatsu coming from inside, one similar to the creatures in the woods. The two of them stood in the back, as Lupin began his lesson, apparently having come to a compromise. Shouta perked up slightly as the boggart was mentioned, bristling slightly when Hermione explained its abilities. He gave Hitsugaya a wary glance, the other nodding in agreement. Neither of them would want to do this in front of others.

"Wand at the ready! 1… 2… 3." Lupin called out calmly, and the door to the closet swung open. Snape climbed out of the closet, and the DADA Professor muttered something into the ear of the terrified Neville.

Snape stalked closer to the boy, the round-faced boy suddenly shouting, "Riddikulus!" Snape staggered back as he was suddenly dressed up in an old hag's clothing, the class laughing. Shouta swiftly took a picture with his phone. The class, excluding the 2 foreigners, formed a line, Ron ending up in the front. The redhead stepped up, whimpering slightly when the boggart turned into an acromantula. He pulled out his wand as the thing crept ever closer, suddenly shouting out the spell.

"Riddikulus!" The acromantula was suddenly wearing roller skates, stumbling as it tried to keep its balance. Another girl went soon after, turning a giant snake into a clown in a box. Harry stepped up next, Shouta amused to see what the boggart would become. It transformed, Harry's smile disappearing as the dementor came towards him. Lupin's smile disappeared as well, rushing towards Harry. Hitsugaya got there first, standing in front of Harry, the spell on the tip of his tongue.

The boggart transformed again, Hitsugaya dropping his wand in shock and fear. He fell back, eyes wide at the sight before him. Mutilated bodies were piled one on top of the other, several girls and even some boys screaming and backing away. Shouta could pick out a few familiar faces such as Momo, Rangiku, Ukitake, and even himself. He bolted into action, racing towards the other's curled up body. "No… I didn't… I didn't mean…" Hitsugaya muttered, his breathing picking up.

"Snap out of it! It's not real, Hitsugaya! I'm not dead, and neither is anyone else! You didn't kill anyone! Hitsugaya!" Shouta shouted, making sure to keep a slight distance from the boggart. Hitsugaya didn't hear him. "Goddammit. Toshiro!" Hitsugaya's head snapped up, life returning to his eyes as he blinked, looking back at the brunette.

"Wha… Izukai…" He muttered, earning a suspicious glance from Harry. Luckily, no one else heard it. Sighing in relief, Shouta stood up walking to stand in front of the other. Hitsugaya's eyes widened as he saw the boggart change, warning Shouta not to look. The brunette looked anyways.

A single girl lay on the ground in a pool of blood, her lifeless gray eyes staring into nothingness. Her long, dark brown hair was pulled up in a ponytail, stained red with blood. In her chest was a bullet wound, where blood continued to pour out of. Standing above the corpse, was Shouta himself, blood splattering his clothes as he gripped the gun in his hand. His glowing green eyes flashed as he looked up towards his mirror image watching in horror, a wide, mad grin spreading on the bloodied boy's face. Hitsugaya reached up and pulled Shouta away from the boggart, as the Professor stepped in front of the beast himself.

The boggart turned into what looked suspiciously like a full moon, shouting "Riddikulus!" The white orb turned into a balloon that went flying around the room, before going back into the closet. Nobody laughed, the bloody scenes the 2 boys had conjured up still stuck in their minds. "Class is over for today! Everyone please leave!" Lupin called out, ushering the class out. Well, everyone except for Shouta and Hitsugaya. Once everyone left, he turned to the last 2, sympathy flashing briefly through his eyes. "Why don't you 2 go see the headmaster? There are many things I want to ask, but I believe he should hear it first."

* * *

McGonagall led the foreign students up to the headmaster's office, neither of them speaking as they dwelled on what the boggart had shown them. Hitsugaya glanced at the silent brunette, wanting to ask but at the same time afraid to. Why had the boggart shown Shouta a mirror image of himself? He knew that Shouta was still suffering from the memory of murdering that girl, but what was with that scene? And that grin? What exactly is he afraid of?

Hitsugaya blinked, snapping out of his thoughts when the professor knocked on a wooden door, before opening it and walking in. The shinigami followed, Shouta not far behind. McGonagall gestured towards the desk nearby, before leaving, closing the door behind her. As he slowly walked towards the desk, he looked around at all the books and strange knick-knacks littering the room and desk, wondering how he hadn't noticed the stuff before. _What the hell is this stuff?_

"Mr. Hitsugaya, Mr. Watanabe." Came a kind voice from above them. The captain's head snapped up to see an old man with a long white beard, looking very similar to the Head Captain. Dumbledore calmly walked down the stairs, his eyes twinkling and a kind smile painted on his old features. "And what do I owe this pleasure?" He stood next to the desk, where Hitsugaya noticed some bird that he believed to be a phoenix.

"Sir… I think you should know about-" Hitsugaya started, before Shouta cut him off abruptly.

"There's something you need to know. Last time we were here, we told you about the 3 defected teachers, right?" Dumbledore nodded, the conversation peaking his interest. "Well, to be honest, we hadn't told you everything. To start off, I guess, we're dead." Dumbledore raised any eyebrow, Shouta taking a deep breath. "You already know that I'm Shouta Izukai, and yes, I did die. Hitsugaya is a shinigami, or a soul reaper in English. I take it you have heard of them?" Shouta inquired, ignoring the glare from his white-haired companion.

"A reaper? Yes, I've heard of them, but what would one be doing here?"

"We were originally sent here to learn magic to prepare for an upcoming war, but last year, problems arose. You already know about the 3 Captains, but I haven't told you that they have an army of… monsters backing them up."

"Hollows?" Dumbldore inquired, Shouta nodding in slight surprise.

"Not only that, but last year we found out that Voldemort and Aizen have reincarnated my worst enemy, Raynaulski." Dumbledore raised an eyebrow, Shouta struggling to keep calm. "So… we have a proposal for you." Hitsugaya shot a glance towards the brunette, remembering the conversation they had the other day.

* * *

"_**I still think we should tell Dumbledore.**__" Shouta protested, glaring at the Captain. _

"_**Like I said, it's too risky. We can't trust him because your father did.**__" Hitsugaya retorted._

"_**But if we come to an agreement with him, he can help us. Besides, he has connections.**__" The brunette pointed out._

"_**You have connections too.**__" _

"_**I used to. Considering how I'm supposed to be dead, I can't just go up to someone and say, 'I'm Shouta Izukai, tell me what you know if you don't want to die.'**__" Hitsugaya grimaced. He had a good point, but it was still too risky, not to mention that they were supposed to be _undercover_. Telling someone would defeat the purpose._

"_**I'm still saying no.**__" _

"_**But what if we agree to help protect the students in exchange for permission to look around and get information? Plus, he could always provide an excuse for us. Snape already knows anyway.**__"_

"_**Yes, but…**__"_

* * *

"Proposal?" Dumbledore's voice snapped Hitsugaya out of his thoughts, turning his attention back to the situation at hand.

"Yes. We can provide protection against hollows, dementors, Sirius Black, and a variety of other things, in exchange for information and the right to act should we need to. And probably a plausible cover story too." Dumbledore thought about this for a minute, before nodding in agreement.

"And I'm assuming you'll want to keep your identity a secret?"

"Well, the dead stuff definitely. Although there are already several students suspicious about my identity as Watanabe. They'll figure out who I am sooner or later anyways, so you don't have to bother with that." Shouta replied, relief flooding into his features, Hitsugaya glared at him again, giving the other a warning.

"Well, I don't think I can refuse a noble." Dumbledore smiled, Shouta smirking in reply. "As for your cover story… you could be distant relatives of mine, in case anyone asks. Oh, and is there anyone who already knows?"

"Um… Snape knows, and a Ravenclaw named Manabu Hara. He's a bit of a… an enemy of mine, I guess. Although I don't think he'll just tell anyone. If anything, he'll personally try to find a way to make me suffer." The brunette replied, scratching the back of his head.

"He probably found it by now. I'm pretty sure the boggart incident has circulated around the whole school now. You better watch your back."

"You too."


	14. Questions

I realized that Harry never asked a lot of questions that he hadn't gotten the chance to ask earlier due to certain events, and neither Shouta nor Shiro answered anything. So Harry will hopefully get his answers in this chapter. Oh, and sorry about all the Shouta in this chapter. I'll try to add more Shiro-chan stuff later on.

* * *

"You better not cause any trouble while I'm gone." Hitsugaya snapped, glowering at the grinning Shouta.

"Don't worry, you go have fun. I won't do anything, maybe play a prank on Malfoy or Snape, but that's pretty much it. Anything else is for after the Weasley twins come back, since I need them to get me some stuff from that prank shop. Don't worry about it, besides, I'll text you if something happens." Shouta replied, unnaturally happy in a way that made Hitsugaya's eyes narrow in suspicion. Sighing, the white-haired shinigami turned and followed the group away towards Hogsmeade, wandering why he wasn't the one staying behind.

Shouta smiled and waved until the others were out of sight, his attitude changing as soon as they were gone. Sighing, the brunette slowly trudged back inside, his mind drifting to other things. Harry and Ron were already suspicious of him as it is, especially thanks to Hara. And there's almost no doubt they had told Hermione. He needed to think of a way to keep that revenge-driven brat silent, or if worse comes to worst, he'd have to get rid of him altogether.

"Shouta." The brunette whirled around, relaxing slightly when he saw Harry.

"Harry. You need something?" The boy nodded, looking nervous. Shouta frowned when he saw the confusion and sense of betrayal in the other's eyes.

"…Can I ask you something?" Harry finally said, hesitation clear in his movements. Shouta nodded slowly, leading the other to an abandoned classroom where they could talk privately.

"So what did you want to ask?" He finally inquired, leaning against the teacher's desk at one end of the room.

Harry sighed for a moment, wondering once again if he should really be asking this. "I never got the chance to ask before because of everything that has happened, but… Who are you really?" He finally asked, his green eyes filled with an intense determination.

Shouta stiffened for a moment, before raising an eyebrow. "What do you mean by that?"

"Manabu said you were a murderer, and that one time in the forest… your had a gun and Hitsugaya had a sword. I know you said that your school teaches combat and stuff, but it's not… normal." Harry replied, speaking quickly in one breath.

Shouta had winced when Manabu's name was spoken, biting his lip as Harry had finished. "Well… to be honest, we are here to learn foreign magic to hopefully get stronger, but we're also supposed to see if anyone here could be a potential threat." Shouta lied, though Harry's eyes still held a sort of suspicion.

"What about the weapons?"

"That… well, we were hired to protect the school, since Voldemort has come back and all." This part was true, although they were only 'hired' a couple days ago.

Harry raised an eyebrow. "You said his name right." He pointed out in surprise. Shouta blinked in confusion, before laughing quietly.

"Why wouldn't I? I only call the guy otherwise because it's fun." Harry snorted, and burst out laughing when Shouta made a weird sound that sounded faintly like 'Moldy-mart'.

"So, anything else, cause if not, I want to help Peeves set up a prank in the Great Hall. Oh, and on that note, I suggest you skip breakfast tomorrow." Shouta warned, still grinning like an idiot. He left before Harry could say anything else, running off in a childish manner.

"But…" Harry muttered, standing there in confusion.

* * *

Sorry if this was a short chapter that took way too long. My teachers have been piling on projects lately, so yeah.


	15. Quidditch: Gryffindor VS Hufflepuff

**I'm back~! Sorry this took so long! No excuses, really, besides a sudden loss of inspiration and a laziness attack. I have recently gotten WAY too many projects plus school, and so, I won't be updating very often anymore. I hope you're still reading this story, but, either way, thank you for your patience!**

**From this point on, I probably won't follow the story line as much, but there should be much more excitement coming up soon! I can't really tell you what's in store, though, since this is one of those stories that I make on a whim. It usually turns out pretty good, but then I never have any planning, and I get stuck on an idea. You'll find that happens a lot, where one of my stories is updated almost every day, and then it doesn't get an update for like a month. But yeah, hope that explains my absence a bit.**

**Now enjoy the story!**

* * *

"We've double checked every room in the castle, including both the Headmaster's office and the Room of Requirements." Shouta informed as he and Hitsugaya calmly came to a stop in front of the group of teachers. "There's no sign of Black. We'd probably have been able to find him if we knew what his spiritual pressure was like, though I do have a few ideas of how he might have hidden himself." He continued, looking slightly bored. Hitsugaya glared at him.

"**Tell me, why are we helping them again?**" He growled quietly, low enough for only Shouta to hear. The brunette ignored him.

"I see… pray tell, what are these ideas?" The Headmaster asked, though he seemed to already know a few himself.

"Well, he could be hiding on a roof, but Hitsugaya here already checked that out, so we crossed that idea off." Shouta started, jerking a thumb at the white-haired shinigami.

"We have several others, but we believe that he has probably transformed or disguised himself someway, be it as a student or an animal." Hitsugaya finished curtly, giving a meaningful glance towards the student body currently wrapped up in sleeping bags on the floor of the Great Hall.

"I see… For now, however, we will have to stop the search. But I warn all of you to be extremely careful, and to watch the students carefully. Especially Harry Potter." With that, Dumbledore left, along with several teachers. Shouta and Hitsugaya reluctantly got into 2 extra sleeping bags near the Golden Trio. Reluctant to go to sleep, the brunette pulled out a newspaper, Black's moving picture on the front.

"I really don't think he's a bad person. But even then, should we really have lied to them? McGonagall's suspicious enough as it is. And Snape…" Shouta trailed off, groaning quietly.

"I agree. He may seem a little crazy, but he is definitely not a serial killer. I've seen the eyes of killers many times before, and that's not including you. For now, we won't tell them where he is, but we should at least keep our eyes on him." Hitsugaya muttered in reply, before lying down and burying his lithe figure under the sheets.

"Night Hitsugaya."

"Hm."

* * *

2 figures watched from afar as all of Hogwarts cheered, watching the game in front of them. "Certainly exciting, huh?" Shouta muttered sarcastically, reclining on the roof of the owlry.

"You know we're supposed to be on guard, right?" Hitsugaya snapped from nearby, standing in the air with his arms crossed. He gave the other his infamous icy glare, but to no effect.

"I know, I know. No need to be so stiff, you work-a-holic. Relax a little, why don't you?" Shouta laughed in reply, grinning childishly. "And for that matter, get down before someone sees you." He chucked a stone at the other, who easily dodged and landed on the roof besides the brunette.

After a couple more minutes, they both tensed as Harry disappeared into the storm clouds above. A few, agonizing minutes went by, before a red and gold clad figure fell from the clouds. "Move!" Hitsugaya called out, already making his way towards the boy using shunpo. Shouta wasn't far behind.

Hitsugaya barely managed to catch the raven-haired boy, gently touching the ground. He set Harry down before he finally noticed the crowd. "Shit." He cursed quietly, seeing Shouta safely out of view just outside the stadium. Whispers and shouts alike erupted throughout the crowd, everyone wondering just how the foreign student managed to fly through the air without a broom. Hitsugaya grit his teeth, trying to remember if there was a spell for wiping out memories of a large group.

"If everyone will calm down and shut up, you'll see that I simply dropped him off and he did not just fly." Came an amplified voice from above. Everyone, including Hitsugaya, looked up to see a certain brunette sitting atop a broom.

'_For once, he's putting that brain of his to a good use.'_ Hitsugaya thought, a slight smirk on his face. The chaos from the stands calmed a bit as most of them started looking up and paying more attention to the brunette above.

With all eyes starting to focus on him, Shouta began feeling queasy. "Anyways, uh… Hey, isn't that the Snitch? Shouldn't we do something about it?" He muttered, gesturing near the Hufflepuff seeker. The boy made a grab for it, but it slipped through his fingers. He chased after it as it flew towards the unconscious Harry and Hitsugaya. Hitsugaya blinked as the golden blur sped straight towards him. He flicked his wrist, the Snitch appearing in his hands.

Everyone stared in awe (except Shouta, Snape, and the Headmaster of course!), until someone began clapping. There was soon a scattered applause everywhere, along with a few whistles and squeals. "Um… I guess Gryffindor wins!" The announcer called out hesitantly, and most of the school erupted in cheers. The noise seemed to arouse Harry, who had been unconscious the whole time.

"Wha… what happened?" He muttered, sitting up.

"Nothing." Shouta replied, landing next to the boy. "Nothing at all."


	16. Welcome to Japan, Harry!

The next few days were calm, according to Hitsugaya. Students were rushing around, getting ready for Christmas and trying to finish their homework all at the same time. Harry, though seemed relaxed.

"Oi, Harry." Shouta called, walking over to the boy.

"Yeah?" Harry asked, picking his head up from the lunch table.

"Aren't you going anywhere for Winter Break?" The brunette asked, Hitsugaya walking over as well.

"No. Why?"

"Well, if you want, you can come back to Japan with us." The Slytherin shrugged nonchalantly, his eyes wandering away from the incredulous look on Hitsugaya's face.

"Really?! I'd love to!" Harry replied, literally jumping out of his seat. "Let me go pack!" He ran off, and the white-haired Captain hit his companion upside the head.

"Ow!"

"Are you an idiot? We can't bring him to the Soul Society!" Toshiro hissed angrily.

"Don't worry! We can always stay at my old Mansion. Or, if you're that worried, we'll stay at Urahara's place. After all, he is supposed to be our 'Guardian'." Shouta pointed out, grinning at Hitsugaya's deep frown. It was so much fun to piss him off. He could see part of the reason why Matsumoto did it so often.

"Fine, we'll stay at Urahara's. But I am _not_ babysitting him." Hitsugaya growled in reluctance.

"Don't worry, we'll get Kurosaki or one of his friends to do that. I'm sure Harry would like that." The Squad 10 Captain's angry response was cut off by the sound of Harry and his large trunk rushing towards them. The 3rd year looked absolutely delighted.

"So how are we getting there? I doubt we're using muggle transportation." Harry asked, practically jumping up and down.

"We'll be using the floo since it's fastest. But first, take these." Shouta handed Harry a small, silver dog tag necklace. At Shouta's gesture, Harry put it on. "We're going to Japan, so this will help you speak and understand Japanese. You'll also be able to write romaji and kanji, though probably not hiragana." At first, Harry didn't get what 'romaji', 'kanji', and 'hiragana' meant, but the answer came to him a second later.

"Right." Harry replied confidently.

* * *

Harry stumbled out of the fireplace, Shouta and Hitsugaya following soon after. The house they arrived in was dusty, as if it hadn't been used in years. It was large and grand, and Harry guessed that it must have been a very nice house at one point.

Shouta whistled in astonishment. "Geez, it's as dusty as the 5th floor was when I still lived here." He muttered, walking towards one of the armchairs in front of the fireplace. Covering his mouth and nose, he plopped down onto the chair, dust exploding all around him.

"Sh-Shouta, d-did you live here?" Harry stuttered, coughing from the dust he had inhaled. Shouta nodded in reply.

"Yeah, but I moved a few years ago. This is the closest fireplace we can use, so Urahara should be waiting to pick us up on the porch. Oh, and just so you know, this was the lounge." Shouta replied, waving dust away with his hand as he headed out of the room, the others following suit. Shouta led them through the dark mansion and out onto a dusty porch covered in cobwebs.

Urahara sat on a chair that seemed to have been cleared of dust, and he stood up when the three stumbled out of the front door. "Hey, there you are. Ready to go?" He asked, grinning mischievously. Hitsugaya looked at him suspiciously, but nodded anyways. "Great! Follow me, Kurosaki-kun stopped by to visit earlier. He may still be there."

10 minutes passed by quickly for Harry as he slowly followed the blonde man, looking at everything curiously. It was so different compared to England!

* * *

"Well, here we are!" Urahara announced, leading them into the little shop. Slightly disappointed at the rundown looking place, Harry followed inside. Hitsugaya, having noticed the substitute's unmistakable spiritual pressure, groaned inwardly. Shouta just snickered. As the shopkeeper led his guests toward the back room, Tessai appeared and grabbed all 3 trunks with ease, disappearing into another room.

"Who was that?" Harry asked, looking at the door in which Tessai had gone through.

"That was Tessai, he works here along with Jinta and Ururu. You'll probably see those 2 in a moment." Shouta replied quietly as a door was opened by Kisuke.

A young, dark-skinned woman sat laughing at a scowling boy with bright orange hair, 2 kids-one with red hair and a scowl, the other with large worried eyes and black hair-watching from in between them. Hitsugaya coughed, getting the orange-haired guy's attention.

"Toshiro! Shouta! You're back!"

"That's Captain Hitsugaya to you, Kurosaki."

"Anyways, Kurosaki, this is Harry Potter from Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He'll be staying here over the break as well." Shouta interrupted, not eager to hear another argument. "And Harry, this is Kurosaki Ichigo. Or how you would say it in English, Ichigo Kurosaki." Ichigo stood up, shaking Harry's hand.

"But, man, Toshiro. Rangiku was right about you growing a couple inches. Did you really let Kurotsuchi do that?" Ichigo asked, comparing Hitsugaya's current size with his. Hitsugaya kicked him, and dragged him out of the room.

"What did he mean? Toshiro grew because of that Kurotsuchi guy?" Harry asked, confusion evident on his face.

"Ah, well… Captain Kurosuchi is the… Potions teacher of our school. He experiments a lot with some creepy science stuff, and he's pretty crazy. Hitsugaya was actually pretty short, but Kurotsuchi made a few… adjustments." Shouta explained, his eyes wandering and his mouth quirked in an awkward smile. Harry just nodded slightly.

Both Ichigo and Toshiro came back in a moment later, Ichigo seeming 'enlightened' on some subject, and Hitsugaya sighing in exasperation.

"Well, now that most everyone is here, let's get the introductions over with." Urahara piped up cheerily. "Harry-kun, this young woman over here is Shihoin Yoruichi, a metamorphagus. She was the cat that came with me last Christmas. The redhead there is Jinta, and the girl is Ururu. They both work here as well. And as I don't think we've ever formally met, I'm Urahara Kisuke, the humble shopkeeper." Urahara grinned and gestured a hand, which Harry hesitantly took. Hitsugaya rolled his eyes at the last part.

"Later, we'll probably take you to see a few… acquaintances of ours, but you should just take a break for a few hours. Hitsugaya and I have some business to attend to." Shouta butt in, dragging both substitute and Captain out of the room.

* * *

**Finally! After like a month of procrastinating, the plot bunnies have returned! The next chapter should be up much sooner than this one was, so be prepared!**

**And Ichigo and the gang shall be introduced! I just couldn't resist. They might appear later (after this Christmas break part) as well, so be on the lookout!**


	17. Happy Birthday Hitsugaya Toshiro! Part 1

"Ow, ow, ow!" Ichigo yelled as Shouta roughly pulled his arm out the door. "Why do I have to come too?" He complained, yanking his sore appendage away.

"Because this concerns you too. Don't you want to know about Aizen's latest plans?" Shouta replied as Hitsugaya's ring morphed into Hyorinmaru. Ichigo's scowl disappeared at the mention of Aizen, replaced by a serious look.

* * *

Hitsugaya led the way through the Precipice World, arriving quickly in the Seireitei. Without question, Ichigo followed the others through the buildings and towards the Main Hall of the 1st Division HQ.

By the time they arrived, all the other Captains were already there, waiting. "Captain Hitsugaya, Shouta-san, I see you have brought the substitute shinigami with you as well. I am eager to hear your report." The Head Captain spoke up, his face not betraying any emotions.

"Yes sir. No information about Aizen or Raynaulski has yet been found. This Voldemort character, however, seems to have split his soul into at least 3 different pieces." Hitsugaya started. Several gasps and an opened eye were gained from the last sentence. "Also, Harry Potter will be in Japan for the holidays, and is likely to find out a few things he should not."

"Unless, of course, Kurosaki learns to keep his mouth shut." Shouta butted in quietly, giving the carrot-top a meaningful glance. Ichigo winced in return.

"I've also heard that you have been hired to protect the school. Mind explaining?" Kyoraku Shunsui asked, raising an eyebrow. Shouta's eyes wandered as he felt an all-too-familiar icy glare.

"Well, Some… complicated, things happened, and the Headmaster got suspicious. And the only way we could get around without getting caught or something was to tell him." Shouta muttered as the air around him became colder. The Head Captain didn't look very happy either.

At that moment, Shouta's cell vibrated. Quickly taking it out, he thanked the gods (or Soul King, if you prefer) that Harry decided to call, and that he could get reception in the Soul Society.

"Hello? Harry?"

"Oh, Shouta. Um, I was wondering when you'd come back, because this girl came by looking for Ichigo, and Mr. Urahara went somewhere." Harry's anxious voice said frantically from over the phone. Shouta inwardly breathed a sigh of relief for having an excuse to leave.

"That's probably Rukia or Orihime. We're on our way back now." With that, he hung up, looking at the Head Captain with an apologetic grin.

"You heard him, we've got to get back. Don't want the famous Harry Potter getting suspicious." Shouta sounded happier than he should be as he backed towards the door, the substitute following suit.

"Before you go, I must make a request." The Head Captain stared meaningfully at the brunette, who looked anxious to leave.

"Yeah?"

"I would like to meet with Harry Potter soon."

* * *

"Sorry we took so long Harry!" The Izukai heir called as he and the two soul reapers stepped back into the shop.

"Shouta, Toshiro!"Harry rushed over, relief evident on his face. A short, black-haired girl followed quickly behind him.

"Ichigo! Where have you been?!" Kuchiki Rukia yelled as she landed a kick in Kurosaki's face.

"Ow! What the hell Rukia?!" Ichigo shouted back, the two looking like they wanted to kill each other.

"Oi, oi, calm down you two. I was taking him to see the head ca-headmaster." Shouta interrupted, glancing at Harry warily. Luckily, the child of the prophecy didn't catch his slip-up. Rukia followed his gaze, realization dawning on her face.

"Oh."

"Anyways, what'd you want Rukia?" Ichigo asked, changing the subject.

"Did you forget that today is Captain Hitsugaya's birthday?" She all but shouted. Both Ichigo and Hitsugaya blinked.

"Don't tell me you forgot your own birthday, Hitsugaya." Shouta muttered. "You work too much." The 'birthday boy' glared at the brunette, who stuck his tongue out childishly.

"You know what Matsumoto does on someone's birthday." Hitsugaya grumbled in reply, hoping to god that his lieutenant didn't know.

"Ah, who cares? Let's just get going!" Ichigo complained, pushing everyone towards the door (with Rukia's help).

* * *

"Captain~!" Squealed the Lieutenant of Squad 10 as she tackled Hitsugaya to the ground.

"Matsumoto!" Hitsugaya shouted, struggling to breathe and get out of her death hug. Eventually she let go, hugging Shouta in greeting as well.

"Anyways, why don't I introduce you to everyone." Shouta muttered, escaping from Rangiku. "That clingy woman was Matsumoto Rangiku, Hitsugaya's Lieutenant."

"Lieutenant?" Harry questioned, looking at the woman now making fun of Ichigo.

"Our school has a ranking system." Shouta explained quickly. "The short girl that kicked Kurosaki earlier was Kuchiki Rukia. The Kuchiki clan is a noble family, and her older brother Byakuya is the current head." Shouta pointed out, weaving through a bunch of tables.

"Over here are some of Kurosaki's friends." Shouta pointed to a group of 4, chatting amongst themselves. He pulled Harry along, who stumbled over a table leg.

"Ah! Izukai-kun!" Orihime called, waving as he briskly walked over. Shouta winced at the use of his real name, glancing back at Harry nervously.

"Hey, Inoue. Harry, this is Inoue Orihime, her friend Arisawa Tatsuki, Ishida Uryu, and Yasutora Sado. But everyone just calls him Chad." Harry nodded nervously, shaking everyone's hand. "Guys, this is Harry Potter from England."

"Nice to meet you, Harry-san!" Orihime grinned cheerily at Harry, who blushed and nodded in return. Shouta proceeded to drag him off, introducing him to several others such as Renji, Izuru, Hisagi, Hanataro, and Ganju.

They finally started making their way back to where Hitsugaya and Ichigo were, easily finding them amongst the small crowd. A petite girl with her brown hair in a bun stood with them now, accompanied with an older looking man with long white hair. Shouta practically ran over to them, Harry stumbling to keep up.

"Momo!" Shouta called out, finally letting go of Harry, who rubbed his sore arm.

"Ah, Shouta-kun!" Hinamori smiled as Shouta pulled her into a gentle hug.

"Shouldn't you still be in the barracks resting?" Shouta asked as he pulled back. Momo shook her head.

"Captain Unohana said it would be alright if I came." She replied, before noticing the raven-haired boy behind him.

"Oh, I almost forgot. Momo, this is Harry Potter. Harry, this is Hinamori Momo and Ukitake Juushiro." Harry once again shook their hands, immediately seeing that they were both very kind people.

"So, Captain, do you still have Maru-chan?" Rangiku piped up, grinning mischievously at her Captain.

"Maru-chan?"

"Yeah Maru-chan! The mini Hyorinmaru!" Hitsugaya suddenly looked as if he wanted to kill something, whilst Shouta was laughing his head off. Poor Harry looked on in confusion.

"Don't worry, Shiro-chan! I kept it safe so you wouldn't behead it!" Shouta said, mimicking Momo's voice. The Captain's murderous aura turned to Shouta, whose grin faltered a bit. Harry, who was standing next to the brunette, backed away.

"_Get rid of it."_ He growled, venom dripping off every syllable. Shouta hid behind Ukitake, who stood his ground, albeit reluctantly. Everyone felt the change in temperature as Hitsugaya's scowl deepened even further, if that was possible.

"You do it!" Shouta replied nervously, chucking a flurry of white and silver. Hitsugaya caught it, and Harry could now easily see what the snowy-haired 'boy' hated so much. Harry snorted in an attempt to keep from laughing, earning a quick glare from the other. Luckily for Harry, Toshiro turned his attention back to the stuffed dragon, again looking like he was trying to freeze it.

"Captain, it's so cute! And I put so much work into it! You wouldn't want to get rid of it now, would you?" Rangiku whined, looking at her superior with puppy eyes. The Captain looked at her with his death glare, but the intensity lessened considerably when he saw Momo looking at him the same way.

"Fine. But I am _not_ bringing it back to the school." He grumbled in defeat, chucking Maru-chan at his lieutenant, who caught it happily.

"Okay," Rangiku sighed, "But I'm going to put it on your desk in your of-er, the classroom." She replied, glancing at Harry nervously for a moment before skipping off. Shouta slowly came out from his hiding place behind the Captain of Squad 13 as the scary atmosphere dissipated with poor Hitsugaya's exhausted sigh.

"Shiro-chan, tonight there will be a small party going on again for you here, so you should probably get some rest before then." Momo suggested calmly, smiling a little nervously. Hitsugaya merely nodded silently in return, before trudging off towards Urahara's shop.

After he left, Shouta spoke up suddenly. "Crap, I almost forgot. Harry, our principal wants to meet with you sometime this week. That alright?"

"Y-yeah, that's fine." Harry replied, nodding.

Shouta grinned. "Great. I want to go see someone that I haven't talked to for awhile, so I'll be going on ahead. See ya!" He called out as he ran off, running faster than Harry thought an average person could run.


	18. Happy Birthday Hitsugaya Toshiro! Part 2

**Hello everyone! Merry Christmas! Here's an extra long chapter for the Holidays, and in apology for not updating for awhile. :) Reviews please!**

* * *

Harry was led to a restaurant down the street by Ukitake, Momo, and Rangiku, who had come back quickly. It turns out Ukitake was Hitsugaya's 'legal guardian', though they didn't live together. To Harry, it kind of explained why Hitsugaya had white hair at his age. Rangiku, despite her height, was Hitsugaya's same age. The woman showed Harry a picture she got from one of their friends (**Orihime**) with her and Hitsugaya (along with a few others). Harry burst out laughing at the sight of someone who couldn't be older than 10.

"He got his _growth spurt _only a few days before he left for your school." Rangiku explained, grinning cheekily. Somewhere in the distance, Hitsugaya sneezed.

They arrived at the restaurant quickly, where Ukitake ordered several bowls of strange foods Harry had never heard of. Set in front of him was… That is salmon, right? As the raven-haired boy stared bug-eyed at the huge slab of meat (Sorry, _fish_), the other three started giggling (or in Ukitake's case, chuckling).

"W-What's so funny?" Harry asked, flustered and embarrassed.

"Sorry Harry-kun. I thought you might be hungry so I ordered a large plate for you." Ukitake managed to get out, suppressing his laugh as he smiled apologetically.

"No, it's alright." Harry replied hesitantly, looking back at the huge platter. He picked up the chopsticks, having been shown how to use them, and clumsily started eating. The others seemed to be having a great time watching him.

* * *

Later, the trio dragged Harry off, showing off Japan and its unique wonders to the boy. Poor Harry seemed to be dragged around a lot lately. They passed a police station just as Shouta exited it. It might have been him, but Harry thought that the brunette seemed a bit down. "Shouta-kun!" Momo called, bounding over to him. Shouta looked up at them in slight surprise, a smile making its way onto his face as he greeted the girl.

"What are you guys doing here?" He asked, eyeing them with curiosity.

"We were just showing Harry around!" Rangiku replied cheerfully. "He's got to see what a great place Japan is, don't you think?" Ukitake smiled behind her, seeming a little left out, along with Harry. "What about you?"

Shouta's eyes wandered back to the doors he had just exited, before quickly looking away again. "Just… visiting an old friend. Last time I saw him, we weren't exactly… on good terms." He replied carefully, and the three shinigami nodded in understanding. "He wasn't there anyways, though. So it probably doesn't matter much." He said quickly.

Harry noticed the bittersweet smile, and his brow furrowed in thought. What was it that Manabu had said about the brunette?

"Anyways, it's almost six. We should be getting the birthday boy ready, shouldn't we?" Shouta pointed out, and Matsumoto grinned mischievously.

"I'll be overlooking the decorating at the party hall~!" She sang, winking at Harry before running off. Ukitake chuckled softly.

* * *

"Shiro-chan!" Momo called out, skipping into Urahara's place. The white-haired shinigami trudged into the room, looking tired and not at all happy.

"I thought I told you not to call me that." He grumbled, a slight scowl on his face. Momo seemed to ignore him.

"Get changed, it's almost time for the party." Hinamori scolded, pushing him back into another room.

"Oi…" The other two laughed, Harry chuckling along with them.

"Are they dating?" The boy-who-lived asked as the three of them waited outside. It had gotten pretty cold, and they were all wrapped in coats and scarves, Shouta wrapped in a blanket. Both Ukitake and Shouta blinked at his question, before falling into fits of laughter. (Well, Shouta mostly.)

"No, no!" Shouta replied, waving his hand in a dismissing manner. "Those two are more like brother and sister. If anything, Momo's going to end up dating Ai…" The brunette immediately shut himself up, frowning deeply. A depressing mood fell over them, Harry seeming both worried and confused at the sudden change in mood.

"Dating who?" He insisted.

"It's no one, Harry. Our Headmaster might tell you, but it's not a good time right now. But, please don't mention it around her. Preferably not around Hitsugaya either." Shouta replied, a pained smile on his face. Harry looked at them in confusion.

At that moment, Momo and Hitsugaya rushed out, Hitsugaya out of his gigai, and in his shihakusho. "What were you guys talking about?" Hitsugaya asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Nothing at all." Ukitake replied, his kind, fatherly smile lighting up in an instant. As they walked out, Harry noticed Momo in a similar outfit to Hitsugaya's, but without the white sweater. (**I know, it's called a haori. Harry doesn't know that though.**)

* * *

They walked quickly to the empty park, Harry looking around in confusion. "Where is everyone?"

"At the school. We have a special… gateway that we use to get to the school, like the wall you run through to get to Platform 9 ¾. Only members of this school can open this gateway, though." Momo explained cheerfully.

"Wouldn't that be a pain to go through every day though?"

"That's why we have dorms, of course."

"So, then those are your school uniforms?" Momo nodded as Hitsugaya opened the 'gateway' to the Precipice world.

"We have to go through an alternate dimension to get to the school, and every once in awhile there's this train-thing called the 'Cleaner'. Call it a type of… security guard, if you will. So we always have to go a bit quickly." Shouta explained, picking up Harry over his shoulder like a big sack.

"Hey! I can run fine, mind you!" Harry protested, struggling.

"Yeah, but we've been trained to run faster than the average person, and you can't get past the cleaner with average speed." Harry faltered in his struggling at that, and then they were off with a burst of speed, Harry now holding on for dear life. Looking in front of him, (which is behind for the ones running) a light came from the distance, growing larger by the second. What looked like a purple demon train rushed towards them, blaring.

"Sh-Shouta…" He stuttered, fixated on the thing coming towards them.

"Yeah?" Shouta asked, not looking at the boy slung over his shoulder.

"Is… that the cleaner?"

Shouta turned around in confusion, eyes widening. "Gyahh!" He yelled, speeding up. He raced past the others, who looked at him in confusion. They turned around as well, and, having the same reaction, quickly caught up to Shouta and Harry. "Almost… there…!" They jumped through the gate at the end, just as the cleaner had caught up. Shouta swore that the stupid thing got faster every time he saw it.

Dropping Harry back on his feet, the group followed Ukitake through the Seireitei, past buildings and buildings of white. As far as Harry could see, they were going in circles.

* * *

They stopped next to what looked like a courtyard, and Ukitake looked back at them as Momo covered Hitsugaya's eyes. "Oi!" Shouta did the same for Harry.

"Why me too?" He asked, trying to remove the hands.

"Because this is the first time you've seen a party Matsumoto-style." Shouta replied, grinning cheekily. They slowly led the way into the courtyard, Harry confused and curious as to what a 'Matsumoto-style party' was like. They stopped, and the pair of hands were removed.

Colorful lights lit up the area like a Christmas tree, the trees themselves dancing in the breeze. Tables had been pulled out, covered in cakes and sweets of all kinds, many Japanese. There were boxes of pizza, buckets of steak, and gallons of soda. And much to Hitsugaya's delight, at the center was a whole table covered in watermelon and a fountain of green tea. All over the courtyard were dozens of grinning faces and laughing people, many of varying ages. They all turned at their entrance, grinning and holding up their drinks. "Happy Birthday Hitsugaya! Welcome to Japan Harry!"

Hitsugaya blinked in surprise, speechless. Harry was much the same, before grinning like a madman. The two of them were pulled into the crowd, getting countless pats on the back and cheerful greetings and congratulations. Even Byakuya came up to his fellow Captain, nodding in greetings. "Happy birthday." His voice was monotone, but Hitsugaya accepted it gratefully none the less.

It wasn't long before Matsumoto got herself and half the group drunk, loud singing ringing throughout the air as shinigami laughed goofily. Somehow, Ichigo got drunk as well, turning a friendly conversation with Renji into a brawl, before a drunk Kenpachi interrupted.

"Ichigo! Fight me!" Kenpachi slurred loudly, stumbling after Ichigo. At some point, Harry got pulled away, already slightly drunk.

"*Hic* Shouta? *Hic* What is it? *Hic*" He slurred stumbling as the brunette pulled him away.

"Snap out of it Harry. I can't believe Matsumoto turned even this into a drinking party. God. Anyways, I figured, since you're here, you can go meet our Headmaster. We'll take the long way around though, so you can sober up a bit." Shouta replied, slowing down a bit so Harry could walk properly.

"*Hic* Okay. *Hic*"

* * *

They walked in silence for a long while, until they finally reached the 1st Division. By that time, Harry had stopped slurring, and for the most part could think properly. They stopped at two big doors, Shouta pushing open one as Harry stared at them in awe. "Well? C'mon." The brunette pulled him inside, before disappearing somewhere. Harry looked around the big hall, his eyes finally resting on an old man in front of him.

He was covered in scars, and had a long beard rivaling Dumbledore's, only this guy had his wrapped in what looked like purple ribbons. He wore the same uniform as the others, though he had the same white sweater only a few others had draped over his shoulders. His hands rested on a gnarled wooden cane, and he sat in a chair.

"You must be Harry Potter." The man spoke in English. "I am the… Headmaster, Genryusai Shigekuni Yamamoto."

"N-nice to meet you sir." Harry shuffled nervously.

"The English Wizards are currently in a war with this Voldemort character, correct?" Harry nodded. "Seeing as you have already defeated him once before, could you perhaps tell me what you know about his power?" Yamamoto opened one of his eyes, peering at Harry. The boy looked at the ground, shuffling again.

"Sorry, sir. I don't know a lot. He's the most powerful dark wizard alive, and he wants to destroy all muggle-born wizards. And he's the descendent of Salazar Slytherin, one of the 4 founders of Hogwarts." Yamamoto nodded slightly.

"I see. Thank you. You deserve to know about our enemies as well, seeing as how they have allied. Sosuke Aizen was a former Professor, and a powerful one. When he defected, he brought with him 2 other Professors: Kaname Tousen and Gin Ichimaru. He seeks to destroy our school and rule over both our World and the… muggle world. He has the power to create powerful illusions, ruling over all five senses. When you have seen his abilities once, you have forever been trapped in his illusions. He also has an army of monsters known as Hollows with him. Powerful creatures of varying strength, ranging from 100,000 and even more in number. Some of these Hollows may even be more powerful than some of our Professors."

Harry's eyes widened at the thought. 100,000 monsters?

"We have already had many casualties. There is also the matter of Raynaulski, who has been… resurrected by the two. However, only Shouta-san can rightfully explain him to you." At that, the Head Captain looked up expectantly, where a reluctant brunette jumped from the high ceiling. He landed with grace, smirking in amusement at Harry's stunned face.

"Raynaulski right? I can't necessarily tell you much, but… Well, he murdered my mom, set fire to my house where I lost my little sister, gave me some really painful scars, and has tortured me both physically, emotionally, and psychologically for his own amusement. Not much to say otherwise. And his abilities… Well, before he 'died', he was much faster than anyone I know, and he was an expert with a sword. He was also pretty decent with a gun, though he prefers carving up his victims and leaving some cryptic message that only taunts people." He walked past Harry, who was stunned speechless, and towards the open door.

"Trust me Harry Potter. You _Wizards_ have it easy. Try living a day in our shoes."


	19. Filler-Miyazaki Tomomi

**Hello everyone! For those of you that remember the Manabu chapter, a little more shall be explained here. This is more a filler, or such, so I'm sorry if there's too much Shouta and not enough Hitsugaya. But, trust me, there will be plenty of him soon. :) I might get the next chapter up soon, seeing as my family is driving to Houston for Christmas with the extended family this Friday, like we do every year. So I'll have quite a bit of time to write. :)**

* * *

The rest of the Holiday passed without any more incidents, though Shouta was a little distant. They were to leave that afternoon, and Harry had just finished packing.

"I'm going out." Shouta muttered, trudging out the door.

"Where are you going?" Harry asked suddenly, eager to be on good terms again.

"None of your business." The brunette snapped, before slamming the front door. Harry looked after him, frowning.

"It's not your fault." Came a voice from behind him. The boy jumped, whirling around to find Hitsugaya. The Japanese wizards seemed to love sneaking up on people.

"What do you mean?" Harry asked, relaxing when he realized who it was.

"I'm sure you've heard that he hasn't been on good terms with his… friend." Harry nodded. "Being back in this town has had him on edge. Normally he's at school, and he never comes back. He probably wants to try to make amends before we leave again." Hitsugaya explained, looking at the doorway his companion had left in.

Frowning, the boy-who-lived took out the invisibility cloak he had brought, draping it around himself.

"Where are you going?" Hitsugaya snapped, yanking the cloak back off.

"I want to see why Shouta's upset." He snapped back, yanking the cloak back. Hitsugaya sighed, crossing his arms. He knew where the brunette was going, and he knew that he would probably want to be left alone.

"If you get yourself killed, it's not my problem." He muttered, heading to the back. He watched out of the corner of his eye as Harry pulled the invisibility cloak back on, his spiritual pressure slipping out the front door. Looks like he was going to have to follow the brat.

* * *

Harry Potter hurried quietly along the streets, turning his head this way and that frantically. He continued to the edge of the town, where he stopped by a cemetery, gasping for breath. It was already evening. Harry was just about to give up, when he heard a soft humming coming from inside the cemetery gates. Curious, he followed the sound inside.

It came near the back, a soft, melancholy tune. As he got closer, it became singing.

"_If we could always remember  
How it feels to love someone  
Hurtful words  
Would never have come to be"_

The lyrics were in perfect English, startling Harry, since he hadn't heard any language besides Japanese till now.

"_Either full or withered  
Our hearts are always  
Pushing someone away, pulling them close  
Again, putting all the blame on the moment"_

Harry listened quietly from under the invisibility cloak, the soft, barely audible voice lilting in the breeze.

"_Blurring away the faces of the ones we hurt  
We search again for love  
We are only kind because we want to be loved  
Acting without shame  
For that's what I believed humans are_

_Your words of love sounded  
Like a crying whisper  
Somehow I knew that one day your heart  
Will be untrue to itself_

_You're so kind to others that I can't help but  
Want you to care more about yourself  
Do you have enough heart left in you for yourself?_

_Don't look at me, it's my heart  
I'll use it for myself  
How can you love someone like me?_

_Your eyes would only shed tears  
Each time I lied for myself  
God knew this  
All of this would happen this way  
And so he made your eyes all the bigger_

_There he watched me, knowing it  
That I'd always love myself  
More than anyone, anything_

_Even though you knew, even though you knew  
You would tell me, the selfish me  
That you loved me  
More than anyone, more than anything_

_You did that without even realizing  
That was Called kindness_

_I wonder how much your heart  
your unselfish heart  
Could love yourself  
I wonder how much I  
Who you were always too kind to  
Could love "someone" else_

_Words were always  
Trying to reflect who the speaker is  
God, why did you make  
Words this close?_

_My heart always kept quiet  
Hiding behind my words  
God, why did you make  
a heart run so deep?_

_If my heart and words were to overlap,  
Were to become one  
Then many of these sad lies I gave you  
Would have been a gentler color_

_(I was here to tell you why)  
It's the same for all  
Everyone has "someone" just for them  
(You were here to tell me why)  
Then why don't I  
Exist for my "someone"?_

_Oh I know, this must be so  
you like yourself for  
"Having someone you love more than yourself"  
I can say now  
that I like the current me  
"The me who loves you more than myself"_

_The tear that people shed for another  
THAT is love's true testimony  
You're the one who taught me that  
The heart you created can now say  
"For someone else, that's for myself as well"  
And that's the way  
We should live  
That's what people do_

_I won't call that  
An act of kindness anymore_

_The heart you always had  
For others  
Has probably loved you too  
I wonder if I'll be able to love too  
Learn to be like you  
I wonder how many "someones" I can love_

_You cried, you really did cry  
As your heart screamed "cry"  
I pray and hope  
You won't hate me  
You loved me, you loved people so much  
So that your heart almost withered  
So I'll love your portion  
Love for you, until I wither_

_Your words of love sounded  
Like a crying whisper  
You always knew someday a heart  
Would save someone."_

There was a long silence, and Harry looked up. Shouta sat in front of a grave, not moving an inch. Finally a quiet, tired voice-nothing like it was just a moment ago-spoke up. "I know you're there, Harry."

Harry, after a moment, took off the invisibility cloak, walking over so that he now stood behind the brunette. "What song was that?" He asked after a long while, and the other's shoulders sagged tiredly.

"Kanashi. Sadness. It was her favorite song. She always said that she loved hearing it in English." Harry read the name engraved in the stone. _Miyazaki Tomomi._

"Is she…" Shouta nodded, quietly.

"Yeah. She's… the first and last person I loved."

* * *

**Dundundun~! I mentioned the Manabu Hara chapter earlier right? Then can you guess how Tomomi died?~ **

**Anyways, the lyrics are from Kanashi by Radwimps, an amazing (J-rock) band, and the lyrics in each of their songs is absolutely inspiring, beautiful, and rings true to your heart. You should probably look at it in the english-subbed versions, but they're my favorite band. Personally, I recommend Yuushinron, or Heart Theism in English.**


	20. Happy Valentines! Crap, Fangirls! Run!

**I can't believe I forgot to mention this, but in response to a review on chapter 18 by La, no, I will not be pairing Toshiro with anyone. **

**Bold for Japanese!**

* * *

It's been a month since they got back from Japan, Hitsugaya mostly thankful that Harry didn't find out as much as he thought. Both shinigami Captain and Izukai heir were just walking in the lunch room after a scouting of the school when a loud screeching rang through the air. Startled, the two looked to see a red envelope yelling at Neville Longbottom, several nearby-including the Golden Trio-looking at him pitifully. Soon after, the screeching stopped, and the red envelope burst into flames.

"Can this place get any weirder?" Shouta muttered as they walked over. They sat next to Harry, glancing at Neville, who looked adequately scared.

"What was that envelope?" Hitsugaya asked.

"You don't know?" Ron asked, and Hermione sent him a quick glare.

"Howlers are letters sent in those red envelopes that will replay a recorded message, typically in a loud voice, and are usually used to reprimand someone or some such manner." Hermione explained, and Ron rolled his eyes. Hitsugaya smirked, a glint in his eyes that made Shouta back away nervously.

"Can you tell me where I can buy one of those?"

* * *

Shouta sighed as he snapped his cell closed. "Who was that?" Harry asked, earning a withering glare from Madam Pince.

"Matsumoto. Remember her? She's freaking out cause Hitsugaya sent her a Howler, and now she's the laughing stock of the others. At least for awhile, she'll be getting her revenge soon. Hitsugaya usually tends to be the one to keep her in line, since he outranks her and all. She's a really big slacker." Shouta explained, and the boy-who-lived laughed quietly.

"They're like an old married couple!" Shouta cracked up too, as did Ron, who was nearby.

"_Who's like an old married couple?_" An ominous-but familiar-voice asked from behind them. The temperature dropped about 20-30 degrees, and Ron whimpered. Harry looked up to see Hitsugaya himself, glaring darkly. Shouta, by that time, was long gone. When Harry didn't answer, Hitsugaya asked again. "I asked you a _question_."

"N-no one… Toshiro." For some reason, (at least to Harry) that seemed to tick the other off even more, though Harry had always called him that. Hitsugaya's eyes narrowed, and Harry gulped.

Of course, that was when Hitsugaya's voice buzzed. The temperature lessened by a couple degrees as Toshiro answered it. It was then that Harry and Ron decided to follow the brunette's example and hightail it out of there.

* * *

Hitsugaya flash-stepped back into the castle, looking around one last time. He stopped in front of the Great Hall, Shouta meeting him there at roughly the same time. **"How'd it go?"** Hitsugaya shook his head in reply, and Shouta groaned. "I thought this Black guy would be easy to find. _'_**Just search for an unfamiliar spiritual pressure.**_'_ Like it's that easy." The brunette complained, mimicking Urahara's voice. He yawned, then cursed quietly in Japanese. "And now I'm going to get a detention from Snape tomorrow for sleeping in class. Great." Toshiro rolled his eyes at the other's antics, before beginning a slow walk back to the dorm rooms.

"We should try to get some sleep. There's no point looking for the man now." Shouta nodded, and started following the other. They kept walking for awhile, until the shinigami grabbed the other and pulled him to a halt, hiding on the ceiling. When Shouta looked at him questioningly, Hitsugaya pointed down below.

They could see one Harry Potter wondering through the corridors, his wand emitting a small light as he looked down at a piece of parchment in his hands. **"What's that?"** Shouta muttered, leaning forward from high up on the wall to get a better look. He smacked a hand over his mouth to cover up a yelp when Snape appeared. Shouta silently cursed the man for the ability to hide his spiritual pressure. **"How does he do that?"** He muttered, glaring at the Potions professor no doubt giving Harry a stern lecture.

That's when Lupin appeared next, Hitsugaya narrowing his eyes. This man's strange spiritual pressure was beginning to bother him now. Lupin, after a short conversation with Snape, led Harry away. "**I'll follow them. You head back.**" Hitsugaya muttered, before running along the roof without a sound.

* * *

"Peter Pettigrew." Lupin's eyes widened at Harry's answer, Hitsugaya looking at the man curiously.

"That's not possible." The professor murmured, and Harry soon left. Hitsugaya jumped down soon after, startling Lupin and causing him to pull his wand out. The wand lowered when he realized who it was. "It's not nice to eavesdrop, Mr. Hitsugaya."

"Tell me about Peter Pettigrew." Hitsugaya's voice was cold and clipped, his eyes narrow.

After a moment, the professor sighed. "Peter Pettigrew was a friend of the Potters. He was killed by Sirius Black."

* * *

February 14th: The day both Shouta and Hitsugaya dreaded.

"**Happy Valentine's Day!**" Urahara's cheery voice called from over the phone. "**I'll have Yoruichi stop by with some gifts from everyone!**" The shopkeeper warned, a little too happy. Shouta glared at the phone for the millionth time, until he finally hung up.

"I really don't want to go to class today. Or leave the common room for that matter. But I'm _really_ hungry right now, so can you please go grab me something?" Shouta pleaded on his cell, and the familiar growl of an angry captain was heard quite clearly on the other side.

"I am most definitely not going down there either. Have one of that Malfoy brat's goons go get it for you." Hitsugaya replied coldly.

"But they'll eat it before they get back up here!"

"Then go get the food yourself."

"Not unless you come with me. Otherwise I'll bombard you with complaints." Shouta smirked smugly when he heard the exasperated sigh on the other end, which he knew was a 'yes'.

The two of them met in front of the grand doors leading to the Great Hall, looking at them with contempt before slowly opening the doors. Almost all female eyes turned upon them immediately, chocolates, flowers, and a variety of other things already at hand. Warily, Shouta led the way inside, Hitsugaya close behind as the hundreds of eyes followed them. They reached the Golden Trio, and proceeded to quickly grab several slices of toast, a few pieces of bacon, and one glass of Green Tea. Then, with the eyes still on them, bolted for the door.

As if on cue, the girls burst out of their seat, chasing the two boys already halfway to their destination. (And they had started running only a second ago, mind you.) The girls that had sat in the back of the room near the door proceeded to block their way. Shouta then made a show of flipping over one of the first years, Hitsugaya quickly following suit. The swarm of fangirls followed them out, and they split up quickly, Hitsugaya heading for the Gryffindor Tower while Shouta made his way towards the Slytherin Tower.

"**Why are they so fast?!**" Shouta grumbled loudly to himself, running around a corner and quickly making his way up to the ceiling. The girls below ran past him, screaming his name. Smirking, he strode his way across the ceiling beams back to his destination, and to his safe dorm room. '_**I haven't suffered girls back when I was alive for nothing.**_' He thought smugly to himself, absently wondering how Hitsugaya was faring.

* * *

The mentioned captain himself spent no time in the goose chase, almost immediately using flash-step to get to the room. But, being the strangely quick fangirls they are, Hitsugaya could hear the screaming down the stairs, probably just around the corner. Quickly, he made his way into the common room, escaping to the safety of the Boy's Dormitory.


	21. Trouble Arises

**I'm so sorry for not updating sooner! I got into writer's block again, and I'm not allowed to use my computer on school days, so it's kinda hard. We finish up Valentine's Day here, and trouble arises~! (Japanese is in bold.)**

* * *

Hermione watched in bemusement as the boys made for the safety of the dormitory. Sighing, she begrudgingly turned back to her own problems. Ron.

"'Mione, shouldn't we help them?" Ron muttered, mouth finally clear of food. After taking a moment to process what he was talking about, she shook her head.

"No, they're alright." She replied, before going back to her book absent-mindedly. Almost subconsciously, her hand found its way to her pocket, fingering the small box of chocolates inside.

"I-I'll go check on them." Harry muttered, standing up and following the distant sound of stampeding feet.

* * *

"Finally…. Found you…" The child of the prophecy gasped as he leaned against the doorway for support. Both Shouta and Hitsugaya turned around, looking at the boy in the entrance of the owlery. The shinigami quickly finished up the last of his tea, the brunette next to him devouring the last of the bacon.

"Harry, what are you doing here?"

"Looking for you." Potter replied, sending a withering glare their way. "If it wasn't for your crazy fans, I might have gotten here sooner." He muttered under his breath, straightening his rumpled cloak. Shouta shrugged, and stood up.

"You got here at a good time though. Come up here." As he said this, the brunette walked up to the edge of the tower, leaping up and hauling himself onto the roof. With some help, Harry managed to get on the roof as well, followed by Hitsugaya.

Before them glowed a majestic golden sun, shimmering red and orange as it slowly sunk into the hills, turned a lush green from the fading light. The sky was painted the colors of the rainbow, in all shades and hues, the rich colors dancing a waltz across the heavens.

"Amazing… I never knew there was something so… breath-taking…" Harry muttered, finally finding the words to say.

"It's even more amazing when it's snowing." Hitsugaya murmured, a small smirk on his face.

"**What? You going to make it snow now?**" Shouta asked, raising an eyebrow skeptically. Hitsugaya rolled his eyes at the question, but didn't answer otherwise.

"What?" Harry asked, genuinely curious.

"Nothing." Shouta replied, laughing quietly. "Anyways, we should probably get back down soon. It's getting late, and I'm pretty sure that your two partners-in-crime have had more than enough time to sort out their feelings." Harry blushed involuntarily at the thought, and hurried back down.

* * *

"E-Excuse me, Toshiro?" The Captain turned around to see a small, blonde-haired girl shuffling from foot to foot. According to her tie, Hitsugaya assumed she was a Ravenclaw, and by her height, a second year. "I-I know Valentine's Day isn't quite over yet so… W-Will you be my Valentine?!" She asked, her pale face now burning a beet red.

"Sorry, but no." Hitsugaya replies curtly, his voice cold. With that, he turned away, and began walking to the Hall for dinner, the quiet sobs of the girl behind him.

Shouta whistled as Hitsugaya sat down, an almost sadistic smirk on his face. "Geez, I know you're heartless, but I didn't think you could be that cruel." His eyes glimmered with mischievous, letting the shinigami know that the other had been watching him.

"Unlike you, I don't insult them." Hitsugaya replied, reaching for the tea. Hermione looked at them in confusion, but let it pass, turning to Ron to scold him on stuffing his mouth like a pig.

* * *

The group was heading towards the Hall for lunch the next day, when Snape stalked towards them, a sour mood radiating from him. "Hitsugaya, Watanabe." The two nodded, telling the Golden Trio to go ahead, while they talked to Snape.

"What?" Shouta asked, a little rudely.

"A man matching the description of the… man you mentioned was seen in Hogsmeade last night." Hitsugaya's frown deepened, and Snape's sour mood seemed to extend to the brunette now, as well.

"Thanks Snape. We'll keep an eye out." They parted ways, Shouta's once good mood now flipped.

"What happened? Did Snape give you detention or something?" Ron asked as the two sat down.

"No. It's… nothing, Weasely. Just some personal stuff." Shouta replied, angrily stabbing the rather big steak on his plate. Hitsugaya gave Harry a look, making the other turn his eyes away. After about 10 minutes, Shouta moved to get up, saying he wasn't hungry. Harry opened his mouth to say something, when a scream echoed through the halls.

"That came from the courtyard!" Someone was heard saying, but by then everyone else had already gotten up, rushing towards the sound, with Harry, Hermione, Ron, Hitsugaya, and Shouta ahead of the rest.

A first year lay on the ground, unconscious and pale. "She just fainted." Hitsugaya informed the rest, after having checked her pulse. Shouta, however, was inspecting the limp, unnaturally bent body of a young boy, another first year. The boy's bloodied face was twisted into that of an unspeakable horror, as if he were screaming. He had 2 sword wounds: one that hit him in the hip, the other straight through the throat.

"Definitely _his_ work." Izukai growled, cursing to himself quietly.

Professor McGonagall pushed through the gathered crowd frantically, coming to a stop near Hitsugaya. Her face lost all color, and it took all her willpower not to look away. "W-What happened?"

"From the looks of it, the kid's been dead for about a day, and due to the lack of blood on the ground, was moved here from the original location." Shouta replied, standing. In his hand was what looked to be a bloodied note, but was hidden away quickly. "Hitsugaya and I will conduct a thorough search of the grounds. All staff and students are to remain in the dorms until further notice."

"But-" Harry protested, but was cut off by an icy glare from Shouta, which-if looks could kill-would have made Harry drop dead on the spot.

"No protests, _Potter_. This is my personal business. I am the one at fault, and I will take full responsibility for it. And that includes keeping brats like you safe." Shouta snapped, and the boy-who-lived backed off, suddenly feeling almost scared for his life. Both foreign students ran off without another word, and several teachers ushering the students away after getting over their own shock.

* * *

"Find anything?" Hitsugaya shook his head, the frown deepening.

"He couldn't have just left without even a trace of reiatsu."

"Yeah, but we have to remember that he was technically revived from the dead, and taken from hell. He might not even have any, depending on how they got him out of there." Shouta replied, just about to head out for another search when there was a spike of rather malicious energy. "…Did you feel that?"

"Yes. It came from the Gryffindor tower." Hitsugaya replied, and the two looked at each other in realization for a split second, before racing as fast as they could towards the spike.

* * *

**Review please!**


	22. Raynaulski Returns

**I'm back~! Bold is Japanese, and be warned for a very depressing chapter!**

* * *

The two Japanese students landed in the window just in time to see Ron Weasley thrown against a wall, unconscious and bleeding. Hermione and a few other students stood frozen in the entryway to the dorm rooms, faces twisted in shock, horror, fear, and a mixture of all three.

Before them stood a tall, thin man with skin slightly paler than it used to be, and dark brown hair swept almost wildly to the side. Narrowed red eyes gleamed with sadistic delight as they scanned the students spread out before them. Compared to the shadows the last time he appeared, it was much easier to see the man now, and every detail was just as it had been before. A feral grin slowly found its way onto his face when he saw two familiar faces appear.

"It's nice to see you again." He greeted, his voice smooth and easy, yet void of any true delight, besides that of a killer. Unlike before, with its razor sharp quality, the words that came out of the man's mouth were sweet as syrup, yet sickly and overly dramatic.

"You always did like drama." Shouta growled, slowly cocking the gun in his hand.

"I thought you liked my act." Raynaulski replied, the chilling smile never leaving his face. The brunette answered with a lightning-fast gunshot slicing through the air, deflected by a blade as if it were child's play. The bullet was quickly followed by Hitsugaya, blades meeting in a fury of sparks. He leapt back just as fast, sword slicing the air where he had stood a moment before.

"Stay out of this Hitsugaya. He's my prey." Green eyes narrowed to slits, glowing brightly in their fury. Raynaulski's smile dropped instantly, though his expression still held a small amount of amusement.

"Save our fight for another time, boy. I have business to take care of." The man snapped, eyes looking towards one Harry Potter, who stood backed against a wall at the far end of the room, his shaking wand pointed threateningly. Before anyone could react, a blade had found its way through Harry's shoulder, and it took three seconds for the boy to register what happened, until he finally began screaming in agony.

"HARRY!"

The blade slowly pulled itself out of flesh, taking delight in the sickening sound and the pained screams that slowly turned into gasps. Hermione rushed to him as he collapsed, trying to breathe. "Oh, and one more thing. Captain of the tenth, I believe this is for you." Raynaulski flicked his wrist, Hitsugaya catching a bloodstained envelope in his hands, his name written clearly on it. The man then ran faster than the human eyes could catch out the open window, Shouta following suit. The white-haired shinigami let him, trusting the other as he addressed the situation before him.

"Dammit. Why the hell are none of the teachers here yet?" He grumbled quietly to himself, tucking the letter away for later. Sheathing Hyourinmaru, the white-haired foreigner flung open the door to the hall, carrying both Harry and Ron.

* * *

"RAYNAULSKI!" Screeched the young teen, gun in one hand, switchblade in the other. From afar, the man ahead only watched in amusement, before disappearing into the midst of the forest. The other followed without hesitation.

He landed in a small clearing, nothing but dead trees surrounding him, the quickly falling night making it even harder to see. "Raynaulski! Stop hiding and get the fuck out here!" Shouta shouted angrily, fury darkening his scowl all the more. "I SAID, SHOW YOURSELF!" A blur wound its way through the trees and towards the clearing, heading straight for the brunette. He barely had any time to react, shooting almost blindly at the shadow.

Blood flew as a bullet grazed what must have been a shoulder, but seconds later, a sword shot out of nowhere, knocking the gun away, and somewhere into the darkness. Upon leaving his hands, it transformed midair back into the black ring, and disappearing from sight. The switchblade found its way into his right hand, where he effectively blocked what would have been a fatal attack. It continued like this, as a blade appeared and disappeared and appeared again out of the darkness, each time Shouta barely dodging or blocking it.

After the foreigner lost track of the time, the sword tip hit the switchblade dead on, knocking it away. The breath left him as he was knocked on his back, and onto the ground. Holding him down with a blade to the throat, was Raynaulski.

"You're getting better, boy, but it's not good enough." The man smiled coldly, his eyes reminding Shouta of his favorite kill. The one back in a small town, where a mother of four was brutally murdered. "If you don't improve soon, I might have to give you some 'motivation'. It seemed to work for quite awhile the first time, didn't it? Unless, of course, you've forgotten. If that's the case, you won't be the only one getting hurt." These words echoed threateningly as the man disappeared, leaving a breathless teen laying on the ground.

It began to rain, as Shouta curled into himself, lying on his side. Then he did something he hadn't done in a long time. He cried.

* * *

Watching the unconscious boys dully, Hitsugaya sighed, slumping down in his chair. His eyes wandered from the clean infirmary to the rain-splattered outdoors, windows misted from the cold. Reluctantly, he took out the letter, doing his best to ignore the blood. It had no return address or addressee of any sort, only his name in Japanese. Slowly tearing it open, he read the contents hidden inside.

'**Hello, Histugaya.  
I know you remember me. It's been a long time. How is Momo doing?  
I'm sure you're wondering why you've received this. Do you remember  
the little 'incident' with Central 46? It just so happens that my recent  
companion here has helped me to acquire a very… special technique.  
Being in a school full of wizards, I'm sure you know what I mean. The  
Killing Curse, they call it. Have you seen it used yet? It is quite effective.  
Very useful, really. With some tweaks, I've made a similar spell of my own.  
This one, however, focuses on slow psychological pain. The details will be  
a surprise. And the dementors will be a special treat to the Head Captain.  
I would tell you when I'm planning to do this, but I don't find it necessary.  
I would love to see your reaction when you return to the Soul Society to  
find everything in shambles.'**

The handwriting was all too familiar, and he could hear the voice of the speaker resounding cruelly in his head, slowly torturing him. Scowling, he crumpled up the paper, throwing it across the room. He then noticed something that had fallen out of the envelope. Upon picking it up, he found that it was a photo. The picture consisted of Central 46, after they had been murdered. Written on the picture in the same handwriting, was a short note: **'Sorry I missed your birthday this year. Here's a belated present.'**

"…Aizen, you bastard."


	23. Familiar Guests Return!

"Hitsugaya." The brunette stood before his companion, looking worse for the wear. His eyes were slightly puffy-a sign that he must have been crying recently-and dark circles framing them. Hitsugaya, however, looked much the same. They both turned back to watching the unconscious students sleeping on their infirmary beds, looking perfectly fine compared to a couple hours ago. "Anything happen while I was gone?"

"**Nothing. That note, however, was from Aizen. Not only has he learned how to use the killing curse, but it seems he's developed one of his own as well. And what about you?"**

Shouta scowled slightly. "**I don't want to talk about it**." He shuffled in his seat, something falling out of his pocket.

"**You dropped something**." Hitsugaya muttered, picking up a folded piece of paper from the ground. Upon closer look, he noticed that it was covered in blood, the paper itself similar to the one he had received. Shouta snatched it back quickly, stuffing it back into his pocket. "**What the hell was that? Why is it covered in blood?**"

"**It's nothing**." He snapped, standing up to leave.

"**You got that from the body, when you were inspecting the wounds**." Shouta stiffened at the accusation, confirming the Captain's suspicions. "**What did it say? We both know that we can't hide things in the current situation**."

"**It's personal**."

"**Many things are. What did it say?**" Even with his back facing the other, Shouta could still feel the frosty scowl glaring daggers into his back. "_**What did it say?**_" There was a moment of silence, until Shouta sighed, suddenly sounding exhausted.

"**...He's saying that the kid died because of me. Just like 2 years ago**." Hitsugaya frowned, but remained silent, until his companion erupted into a coughing fit.

"O-Oi. Are you alright?"

"Y-Yeah. Just a cold. Anyways, as a precaution, we should ask for backup."

Toshiro nodded in agreement. "As much as I hate to admit it, you're right."

* * *

Manabu Hara glared at the brunette walking past, arms crossed. "Manabu! We're going to be late for class!" A male voice called out, and the boy reluctantly answered, turning away from his sworn enemy.

* * *

Harry groggily awoke to the sound of shouting. Slowly sitting up, he groaned in pain as his shoulder began throbbing. The shouting immediately calmed, and 6 faces turned to him anxiously. "Harry, are you alright?" Hermione asked, sitting up straight from the stool she was perched on. Hitsugaya and Shouta made up two of the other 5, the rest looking similar, though Harry couldn't quite recall their names.

"Hermione? What happened? And why does my shoulder hurt so much?" He muttered, holding his shoulder to prove his point.

"Do you really not remember?" Hitsugaya asked, arms crossed and frowning. It took a moment, until the boy's eyes widened as the other night's events came rushing back.

"…Oh."

"_Anyways_," A strawberry-blonde woman interrupted, bouncing over to Harry. "How are you feeling Harry?"

"My shoulder hurts, but I'm alright. Um, what were you yelling about earlier?" Harry asked, not really wanting to ask who she was. Considering how he was sure that he's met her before, he didn't really want to embarrass himself.

"This pussy over here wouldn't let me look at the photo." She pouted, pointing at the brunette behind her. Shouta stuck his tongue out, putting what must have been the photo into his pocket.

"It's personal, Matsumoto. Not like it matters anyways." He replied, the usual frown on his face.

"So this is Hogwarts then?" One of the other 'familiar strangers' asked, this one being a rather petite girl with raven black hair. She crossed her arms, gazing around the infirmary.

"Apparently. Looks like some boarding school if you ask me." The last of them replied, his hair the color of a carrot. Something sparked in Harry's mind, remembering that the guy's name was Ichigo… something.

"You have yet to see anything." Hitsugaya muttered. "Should we take them on a tour?" The captain looked at both Shouta and Harry with an eyebrow raised, a small smirk playing upon his face.

"Up to Harry." The brunette replied, looking at the boy still sitting in the bed. Harry Potter nodded, not entirely sure what was supposed to be so funny.

* * *

"GYAAH!" The carrot-top fell backwards in the hallway as two foreigners cracked up, some of the men and women in the paintings looking at the sight with confused or amused expressions. "Wh-Why the hell are they moving?!"

"Boy, learn some manners. And clean out that foul mouth of yours!" A Victorian woman snapped, crossing her arms as she sat back on her stool.

"Is this still a boarding school, Kurosaki?" Shouta asked, grinning cheekily.

"Oh yeah, sure. Moving paintings, ghosts that don't become Hollows, brooms that fly, people with sticks that make things disappear! Of course this isn't a damned boarding school!"

"Boy! I told you to watch your mouth!" Ichigo winced as the woman in the painting shrieked, scooting away from her.

"Wait. What's a Hollow?" Harry asked, causing Rukia to glare at the other. Kurosaki shrugged in apology.

"**...Should we tell him the truth?**" Shouta asked, looking at the others.

"**No. If he talks about it with his friends, it could leak to our enemies, or some idiot brats that think they can kill one.**" Hitsugaya replied, before turning to Harry. "Nothing important, Potter. Just something we have in Japan." Harry hesitantly nodded in reply.

"So, are you going to be transferring to Hogwarts?" The boy finally asked, looking at the three newcomers.

"Not till next year. It's too much trouble to enroll halfway through the year, so until then we'll be staying somewhere else." Kurosaki replied flippantly. "Anyways, let's get back to the infirmary. We should see if that red-headed kid has woken up yet." Harry, seeming to have forgotten completely about Ron, runs back to the infirmary with a sudden burst of energy.

* * *

**Sorry about the short chapter!**


	24. A Hollow In England & New Found Hope

**Almost done with Book 3! I didn't realize that this book/arc had gone on for so long! Anyways, Happy Mother's Day, and (finally) here's the next chapter! (And sorry for the long wait!)**

* * *

"Izukai, Hitsugaya, would you mind paying attention?" Remus Lupin raised an eyebrow at the duo, who simultaneously glared at a rather distracting Matsumoto. The woman giggled, retreating stealthily back to her 'corner'. They turned back to Lupin, who continued with his lesson. Keeping his head up, Shouta pulled out his cell, and began texting. Raising an eyebrow at the other, he glanced down at the text, smirked, and turned back to the professor.

Shouta pocketed his cell as another went off rather loudly in the back of the classroom, with a noisy voice shouting 'SAKE~!' The whole class-besides the two foreign students-turned around, and Matsumoto's face burned a bright red as she fumbled with her phone, trying to shut it up. Ron snickered at the sound, Shouta doing the same as the ringtone got louder.

"Okay, everyone! Let's focus now!" Lupin called out, trying to get his students to turn back around. Eventually they did, and he resumed his lesson.

* * *

"Nice ringtone." A Slytherin boy muttered, snickering as he passed Matsumoto on his way out. The strawberry-blonde glared at Shouta and Hitsugaya, pouting as she left the room with them.

"That was mean Shouta!" She whined, shaking him as he tried to walk. The boy laughed anyways.

"It's not my fault you didn't put it on silent." He replied sarcastically. Hitsugaya rolled his eyes at their antics.

"Matsumoto."

"Yes?"

"Stop interrupting the professors. Exams are next week." He gave her a slight glare, and she nodded reluctantly.

"…Yes sir…"

"Toshiro! Shouta!" Hermione, Ron, and Harry rushed up to them, practically jumping up and down in excitement.

"Yes?" Hitsugaya asked curtly, raising an eyebrow.

"Did you hear about the monster yet?" Ron asked, speaking quickly. When the three shook their heads, Hermione thrust a newspaper at them.

"It's awful, isn't it? Three muggles died because of it!" She complained, crossing her arms. On the front cover was a moving picture of a large, gray/black creature, a white, bone-like mask with red markings adorning its face. It had a large hole in its chest, and in its claw-like hands were the mangled bodies of a young boy, a woman, and a middle-aged man.

"**Hitsugaya… Is that…?" **The shinigami Captain nodded.

"**This isn't too far from here. Matsumoto, take Kurosaki and Kuchiki with you and head to this location.**" He handed her the newspaper, and she nodded in affirmation, before flash-stepping away.

"Toshiro?" Harry questioned, raising an eyebrow. Without response, the white-haired shinigami sprinted off.

"It's… personal, Potter. Anyways, I'm heading to the library. See ya." Shouta patted the boy on the shoulder as he trudged off, stretching his arms and yawning as he did so.

* * *

"Is that it?" A certain carrot-top asked, sheathing his sword as he came to a stop in front of Rukia and Rangiku.

"According to my calculations, yes, that's it. Hold on." The shortest of the three flipped open her soul phone as it buzzed, scanning through the text. "It seems that Shouta's found something or another in the library. Let's head back." Kurosaki nodded.

"I'm going to sweep the area one more time. You go on ahead." Rangiku replied, before disappearing. Shrugging, Ichigo started back towards Hogwarts, Rukia not far behind.

By the time they reached the library, it was sundown, Hitsugaya already there. "So?" Kurosaki asked, taking a seat across from the brunette, who glared intensely as he read a book. He didn't respond, or even seem to notice the other. "Shouta?"

"Leave it, Kurosaki. He's trying to decode something." Hitsugaya snapped, before turning back to watch the other work. Kurosaki then noticed the left hand scribbling something intensely, the piece of paper already covered in writing.

'_He's ambidextrous?'_ The ginger furrowed his brows, when the pen was suddenly slammed down.

"Done!" Shouta slumped back in his chair, sighing. "Finally…"

"So, what did you find?" Rukia asked, leaning forward to read the book.

"**This book was written by an old man I once knew. The old hoot always claimed to have seen 'ghostly figures' running around in black cloaks, though I didn't believe him then. Honestly, I completely forgot about it until I saw his name on the cover. Just before he died, he told me to go to school and write his book backwards. I thought this was strangely written, but if you write the sentence in an opposite order, and cross out every other word, it comes out as a type of message.**" Shouta explained, showing them the page full of writing. "**Most of it is explaining about the existence of the Soul Society and such, as well as a few other key points that aren't important right now. But this paragraph here…**" He pointed to the mentioned section, down at the bottom of the page, which was circled.

"**Isn't this explaining the process of dying, and being led to the Soul Society? How is it different?**" Rukia raised an eyebrow skeptically at him.

"**If you take this sentence, and cross out the words, 'Society', 'lead', and 'reaper', you get this.**" He crossed out the mentioned words, and showed them again. All three teen's eyes widened in shock.

"**With this, not only do we know how Raynaulski was raised, but we can figure out how to send him back.**"

"**That's incredible, Shouta! This changes everything!**" Rangiku-who had joined them halfway through-exclaimed, squeezing him in a hug.

"R-Right. Anyways, I'm going to be studying this book for awhile. And, if possible, I'm going to ask Dumbledore if he can put this in the restricted section. If they're smart enough, pretty much anyone could figure out how to decode it. Hermione would, for sure." The others nod in agreement, and Shouta tucks the paper in the book, and the book in his bag. "It's getting late. I'm heading back to the common room."

* * *

"_The brats. I'll show them not to snoop around."_

"_You're not laying a hand on them."_

"_How about a bullet?"_

"_Just… stay away from them. Besides, even if they find out, it's not that bad. Potter's proven he's trustworthy."_

"_No one is trustworthy. The only one either you or me can ever trust is each other."_

"_That's not true!"_

"_Stop trying to deny it. Sooner or later, you're going to see the light. Or should I say, the dark?"_


	25. Maru-chan Returns! :D

**Here it is! The last chapter for book 3! Sorry if there's a lack of action, I couldn't find the information I needed to really go into Black and Peter Pettigrew and that stuff. From what I remember of watching the movie, I know what happens, but it's gotten all mixed up in my head and stuff. But yeah.**

* * *

Shouta yawned, head falling onto the desk as he groaned quietly. "Hitsugaya…" He grumbled, eyes looking tiredly at the other. "How the hell are you able to stay awake? The guy's voice is like a sleeping pill." Then he muttered, "I might as well record it for the future when I can't fall asleep." The other rolled his eyes.

"It's not that hard. Why don't you try listening to the content rather than the voice?" He raised an eyebrow, and the other just closed his eyes in return.

"_Such a stuck up-"_

"Shut up."

"What?" Hitsugaya asked, raising an eyebrow incredulously.

"N-Nothing. Sorry."

* * *

Have you seen Harry around lately?

No. Why?

Well, he's supposed to be meeting with some girl.

How do you know that?

…I snuck a look at the love letter he got.

…

But, anyways, I haven't seen Hermione or Ron either.

Their spiritual pressure indicates that they aren't in the school. That DADA professor and Black is with them.

Where are they?!

By that strange tree.

See you there then! I'm already on my way over!

Izukai?

Oi!

"…**That idiot.**" One Hitsugaya grumbled as he put away his cell, making his way towards the group of living beings near the moving willow tree, and the chaos that was about to erupt.

* * *

Two Japanese students watched as the man escaped with the hippogriff. "It's funny how so often the hero gets mistaken for the villain, and the villain for the hero." Shouta muttered, resisting the urge to yawn.

"And how so often the hero makes himself out to be the villain for another's sake." Hitsugaya added, both boys smirking.

"Anyways, you want to see if we can weasel out of coming back next year? After all, Kurosaki and the others will be transferring in."

"We're here on a mission, Izukai. Besides, I'll have to keep an eye on those idiots." The Tenth Captain sighed, moving to get up.

"Right, right. I'm going to the library then."

"That book again?" Hitsugaya asked, raising an eyebrow. Shouta shrugged.

"What? It might have something else I missed earlier."

* * *

Hitsugaya stepped back into the Gryffindor common room, and was immediately assaulted by a noisy racket.

"Harry Harry Harry Harry Harry!" One female squealed, spinning round as she clutched a boy to her chest in a death hug.

"R-Rangiku! You're going to suffocate him!" Ichigo and Rukia stood off to the side, wanting to help, but looking unsure how.

"Woops! Sorry!" Matsumoto giggled, releasing the boy. Catching his breath, Harry fixed his glasses, looking more than a little bewildered. Matsumoto turned, and gasped in delight when she saw the white-haired shinigami standing there. "TAICHO!" She raced for him, grasping the other in a similar hug as Harry had been given.

"Matsumoto! Let go!" A muffled voice shouted. The woman did as told, releasing him a moment later.

"You know, I don't think I'll ever get used to you being so tall!" Hitsugaya rolled his eyes at her antics, taking out a book as he sat on one of the comfy armchairs. "Oh, Captain, I almost forgot! I brought Maru-chan for a visit!" Rangiku raced to the other side of the room, where some of her things were set up. Meanwhile, Ichigo, Harry, and Rukia slowly backed away from the Captain, whose scowl began deepening quickly.

Matsumoto came back, cheerfully holding up the stuffed dragon. "Matsumoto…" Hitsugaya growled.

"Yes?" She replied, head cocked to the side.

"_I thought I told you I didn't want it._" Matsumoto squeaked in fear as a flash of silver blurred in front of her. The blade quickly disappeared before anyone else could see it, and all eyes turned to the stuffed animal. Maru-chan's head fell off.

Rangiku's face had a look of absolute horror as she screamed. "MARU-CHAN!"

* * *

"…What do you want, Hara?" A certain brunette asked, eyes not leaving the book.

"**I believe you know. I want revenge**." The 6th year snapped angrily in reply.

"**Don't be naïve. This world is full of injustice. No matter what you do, your parents aren't going to come back.**"

"Maybe not, but I can put their spirits at ease by giving you the punishment you deserve!"

"…You really are an idiot." Shouta sighed, closing the book and putting it away.

"Huh?"

"Your father is a murderer. He killed your baby brother before you even knew of him, and the psycho later killed his own wife the same night I killed him." The brunette turned around to look the other in the eyes. "I wanted to refrain from sullying the memory of your father, but obviously, the only way to get you to listen is for you to hear the truth."

Shouta gave the boy one last glare before he left, and the other, in shock, began to cry.

* * *

"So we're heading back now?" Hitsugaya nodded.

"As soon as Matsumoto gets down here." Not a moment too soon, a wailing was heard as the mentioned lieutenant stumbled her way down the stairs, cradling an object wrapped in blankets. Hitsugaya rolled his eyes, Shouta only giving everyone a questioning look.

"Someone mind explaining?" He asked, looking rattled when Matsumoto practically fell on him, sobbing.

"CAPTAIN BEHEADED MARU-CHAN!" She wailed, thrusting the object into Shouta's face, who pushed it away.

"M-Matsumoto, calm down. I'm sure Inoue can patch him up." He stuttered, and the woman's face brightened instantly.

"Let's hurry up and get home then!" She shouted, racing for the door. Hitsugaya resisted the urge to groan.

* * *

**And there you have it! The end of Book 3! I've got some good ideas for the next book, and I can't wait to do the dance! XD See you then!**


	26. The Triwizard Tournament

**And we now start the fourth book! I've got some really good ideas for this one, so you may or may not be able to have chapters a lot more quickly! Hope you like it! :)**

* * *

"**Hurry up! He's getting away!**"

"**I'm going as fast as I can!**"

"**Sorry, Kurosaki. We're going on ahead.**"

"**H-Hey!**"

Kurosaki Ichigo, Kuchiki Rukia, Matsumoto Rangiku, Hitsugaya Toshiro, and Izukai Shouta all raced towards the countryside, and for Hogwarts. Or, rather, Shouta was racing for Hogwarts, and the Shinigami were chasing after him.

"**Shouta! Give it back!**" The Lieutenant whined, getting closer to the teen.

"**No way! Besides, I found it!**"

"**Both of you just shut up and get to the school before we're late!**"

* * *

"Where were you guys? We didn't see you on the Express." Hermione asked as the group collapsed into the seats.

"Came by a different route." Rukia murmured, watching as Dumbledore began his speech.

"…And I am pleased to welcome the lovely ladies of the Beauxbatons Academy and their headmistress, Madame Maxime!" A group of rather pretty young girls in blue uniforms danced into the Great Hall, followed by a rather tall woman in a fur coat.

"And now our friends from the north, please greet the proud sons of Durmstrang, and their highmaster Igor Karkaroff!" A group of athletic men, most wearing fur coats, came in, all bearing staffs. Like the French students, they put on a show.

Once everyone sat down, Dumbledore continued on to explain the Triwizard tournament, and to introduce the new teacher, 'Made-eye Moody'. The whole area burst into protest when the age-limit became known, but was quickly silenced as Dumbledore introduced the Goblet of Fire.

"Lastly," He said, the seriousness in his face fading slightly. "I would like to introduce a few transfer students, who have come here from a previously unknown school in Japan." He gestured, and the group stood. "I have also recently been informed that they will be participating as well." Whispers spread throughout the Hall, shock appearing not only on the faces of the Golden Trio.

* * *

"You never told us you were participating in the tournament!" The outburst came from Ron, who looked almost green with envy.

"You're not even 17 yet!" Fred and George added.

"…Actually, we kinda are…"

"Huh?"

"Our school works differently than yours. Both Hitsugaya and I are turning 19 soon, Kuchiki and Kurosaki are around 17 and 18, and Matsumoto is almost 23. Age doesn't matter there." Shouta replied, somewhat nervously.

"Okay… So then, which one of you is going to enter?" Hermione questioned, looking up from her book. It was on Japanese Culture.

"No idea. We found out at the same time you did." Kurosaki replied, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Nice headmaster you got there."

"…No kidding."

* * *

"Weasley! Stand up." The boy whimpered slightly as he stood. "Name a curse." Mad-eye Moody snapped.

"W-Well, my dad told me one." The ginger stuttered quietly. Moody nodded, signaling him to go on. "The Imperious curse." The new professor nodded.

"Well, your dad would know about that one." Moody took out a spider, enlarging it. Students began laughing as Moody demonstrated the first curse, the spider going around from student to student.

"…How do we sort out… the liars?" He looked around as several students raised their hands. "Longbottom, is it?" The boy stood, looking a little less nervous than Weasely.

"Th-That is-um-the Cruciatus-" He started.

"Correct! Correct!" Moody interrupted, rather quickly. "Come! Come!" He beckoned, and Neville hesitantly followed him to the front desk where the spider awaited. "Crucio." The spider began screeching in primal agony, and everyone could see Neville's face scrunch up in something like pain.

"Stop!" Kurosaki's voice bellowed through the room, and Moody quickly complied. As Neville began to regain himself, Moody picked up the spider, and carried it over to Kurosaki's desk.

"Well then. Perhaps you can tell us the last curse." Kurosaki remained tight-lipped, though clearly ticked off.

"Avada kadavra!" The spider fell still, now dead. Everyone sat in shock, staring at the arachnid. "The killing curse. Only one person is known to have survived it. And he's sitting in this room." They all watched as the professor trudged over to Harry Potter, staring at him, before taking a swig out of his small canteen.

* * *

Everyone gathered around, watching in excitement as different contestants stepped up, putting their name into the Goblet. The Japanese foreigners came in the room just in time to see the Weasley twins get blown away from the Goblet. There was a chorus of "Fight! Fight! Fight!" amongst the other students, but quieted as soon as several Durmstrang students came in, lead by Viktor Krum himself. Everyone was silent as he put his name into the goblet.

"So which one of us is going to participate?" Rukia asked, crossing her arms.

"The Goblet's only going to pick one person from each school, right? Why don't we all put our names in and see who gets in?" Ichigo suggested, shrugging. The others shrugged in agreement, all stepping past the age line and slipping the pieces of paper with their names on it into the Goblet.

* * *

Everyone sat down at the tables, as Dumbledore began talking. "Now the moment you've all been waiting for: The champion's selection!"

All lights dimmed at the wave of Dumbledore's hand. The first slip of paper flew from the Goblet. "The Durmstrang champion is Viktor Krum!" The man grinned, and went to stand up front. "The Beauxbatons champion is Fleur Delacour!" The girl smiled, and joined Krum up front. "The Hogwarts champion: Cedric Diggory!" The Hufflepuff grinned as he stood, making his way up front. "And the champion for Japan…" Dumbledore frowned when three pieces of paper flew from the Goblet. "Ichigo Kurosaki, Toshiro Hitsugaya, and Shouta Watanabe!" Whispers broke out among the students at the sight of the three making their way up front.

"There's only supposed to be one champion from their school!" Someone protested.

"Our school is divided in branches." Hitsugaya explained curtly, crossing his arms.

"We now have our champions! But in the end, only one will go down in history… Only one will hoist this up: The Triwizard cup!" The school erupted in cheering when the magnificent trophy was revealed.

But that quickly quieted as one last slip of paper floated down from the cup. Seemingly confused, Dumbledore looked at the name. "Harry Potter." He mumbled, and everyone turned to Harry. "Harry Potter!" Dumbledore bellowed, and the boy reluctantly went up to the Headmaster, and then to the front. A few shouted insults at him as he made his way up, all staring.


	27. The First Task-Part 1

**You guys get two today, cause I felt like I couldn't stop there. :3**

* * *

The professors and headmasters came quickly down the stairs into the trophy room, arguing rather loudly. The Champions watched as Dumbledore quickly asked Harry several questions, to which he denied having put his name in.

"What do we do?" He muttered, obviously upset.

The man from the Ministry sighed. "The rules are absolute. Mr. Potter has no choice. He is, as of tonight, a Triwizard champion."

* * *

"**How do you think they got Harry's name in the cup?**" One Lieutenant asked, watching as Rukia, Hitsugaya, and Shouta poured over several different books.

"**A spy or Death Eater of some sort, obviously, Matsumoto.**" The brunette replied, not looking up.

"**Stop getting distracted, Izukai. We need to find it quickly.**"

"**What are you looking for anyways?**" Kurosaki asked, picking up one of the books strewn about the table. Hitsugaya quickly snatched it back, flipping it open.

"**I thought it's be obvious, Kurosaki. That Goblet had traces of Aizen's spiritual pressure. He did something to it, and I intend to find out what.**"

"**You're kidding. What would he want to do with it?**"

"**Oh, I don't know, Ichigo. Maybe sabotage the tournament, or put Harry Potter's name in for Voldemort?**" Rukia snapped, getting up and practically running for more books. She took several books out of the shelves, setting them on the table. Each of the three immediately grabbed a book and began looking through it. "**I think I've got something.**" As if on cue, the other two dropped their stuff and looked at where the raven-haired shinigami was pointing.

"'**History of the Tournament'. That's the one.**"

"**Okay, now I'm just confused.**" The carrot-top grumbled, leaning back against another table.

"**Looking through the history, Kurosaki, we can find places where Raynaulski, Aizen or Voldemort might have a chance to sabotage the tournament somehow, whether by slipping in or messing up any safety measures.**" Shouta explained, stacking up the other books neatly. "**We only need that one for now, but make sure to keep an eye out.**"

* * *

"So Weasley hasn't been speaking to Potter?" Kurosaki shook his head.

"No. Something about Harry being in the tournament, I think." The substitute trailed off, glaring as they entered the hallways. Everywhere they looked, people had badges that said: 'Potter Stinks'. He grabbed a third year by the shirt angrily, tearing off the boy's badge. "Where'd you get this?" He growled, shoving the badge in the boy's face. The boy didn't answer. "If I see you wearing this again, you're going to regret it." The boy nodded, running off as soon as Kurosaki let him go.

He turned around to see Matsumoto laughing rather hard, Hitsugaya rolling his eyes, and Shouta and Rukia snickering as the brunette took a few pictures on his phone. "What's going on?" He asked, but his question was answered as he watched Mad-eye Moody punishing a ferret. "What…"

"It's Malfoy." Toshiro explained, and the ferret was turned back into the blond by one McGonagall.

"…Right."

* * *

Harry paced back and forth in the tent nervously. Kurosaki, feeling slightly uncomfortable in the uniform, was about to go talk to the boy, when Granger came up first. She left soon, however, when the headmasters and the man-Barty-came into the tent.

"Champions, gather round." He said, and placed them in different spots around him. "Now, Ms. Delacour, if you will." He said, holding up a blue bag. The blonde flinched slightly as she pulled a small dragon from the bag. It was a Common Welsh Green. Krum got a Chinese Fireball; Diggory a Swedish Short-Snout; Shouta a Peruvian Vipertooth; Ichigo a Romanian Longhorn; Hitsugaya a Hebridean Black; and Harry a Hungarian Horntail.

"These represent 6 very real dragons, each of which has been given a golden egg to protect. Your goal is simple. Get the egg. This you must do, for you cannot proceed otherwise. The egg holds the clue for the next task. Any questions?" Everyone was silent.

"Very well. Thank you Barty." Dumbledore said, and a cannon nearby was shot, and the crowd went wild. Cedric Diggory went out first.

* * *

"Good luck Kurosaki." The substitute nodded, stepping out into the arena. The arena was a big mess of rocky, mountainous-like terrains, surrounded by a cheering crowd. A large, golden egg sat in the middle, the dragon nowhere to be seen.

He began running out, yelping as two, long, glittering golden horns just missed him. A large, bulky dragon-around 40 feet long-with dark green scales whirled around in the air, growling. Out of instinct, Kurosaki summoned Zangetsu just as the dragon came charging again. He blocked the attack, though was pushed back several yards. The audience seemed shocked at this, but the substitute shinigami didn't seem to notice. Flipping over onto the dragon's back, he held onto one of the horns as the beast bucked.

"**Ichigo, you idiot! Don't kill it! Use your wand! Your wand!**" Rukia shouted from the audience. Kurosaki looked up at her, and was thrown off of the dragon. He quickly put Zangetsu back in ring form, dodging another attack. He ran, grabbing the egg on the way. The crowd went up in cheers, as Ichigo frantically ran from the creature.

"How the hell am I supposed to stop this thing without killing it?!" He shouted, making his way back towards the way he had entered from. He almost used flash-step, had there not been an audience of wizards surrounding him.

"Gyaah!" The carrot-top shouted as the ground beneath him threw him off. The Romanian Longhorn, which had previously been flying had landed, and Kurosaki fell to the ground. "**Shit**." He muttered, making his way to his feet. The beast rammed itself into him, smashing him into the wall. The beast's horns just missed his stomach.

"**Ichigo!**" Struggling, Ichigo once again took out Zangetsu, keeping a hold on the egg with his left hand. He smashed his zanpaktou down onto the beast's nose, using the flat of the blade. The Romanian Longhorn wailed, rearing back. Kurosaki landed on the ground, and quickly made his way out of the arena.


	28. The First Task-Part 2

**Yeah... Okay, I was _really_ excited to work on this book, so a lot of chapters will be back-to-back. For instance, you get three today. Midnight now, so I'm gonna get a snack and start working on some other stories. Or this one. Probably this one.**

* * *

"Guess I'm up next." Shouta Watanabe muttered, rolling his arms back. He went out running, going slightly faster than an average teen, but not as fast as he or the others could go. A large blur rammed into him, throwing him into a wall.

The Peruvian Vipertooth was small-only 15 feet long-with smooth, copper-colored scales. It stood on only two feet, wings raised threateningly. The dragon had black, ridge-markings and short horns on its head. The dragon roared angrily, flying at the brunette at an unnatural speed.

"How is he supposed to defeat that?" Hermione asked, eyes wide.

"He's faster than you'd think." Matsumoto replied, smiling. "Almost as fast as Captain Soifon and Yoruichi Shihoin." She muttered to herself, and Hermione and Ron looked at her strangely.

Everyone watched in horror as the dragon rammed into the wall and-presumably-Shouta. All was silent for a moment, when the brunette appeared near the Golden Egg, panting. "F*cking hell…" He grumbled, breathing hard. "That thing almost killed me." The dragon whirled around, venomous fangs bared. The wizard students watched in awe as Shouta ran, keeping just out of reach of the dragon and its flaming breath.

"…That's impossible… No one can run that fast…" Matsumoto burst out laughing.

"Shouta can! Been running since he was 4." She explained, grinning. They turned back to the brunette, who was still running.

"Watanabe! The Egg! Get the Egg!" Rukia shouted, watching as the boy turned in realization, the dragon between him and the Egg. A sudden determination in his eyes, he stopped, turning around to face the dragon.

"W-What is he doing?"

"We'll just have to wait and see."

Shouta began running for the beast, it running towards him, both at full speed. The spectators watch as two blurs seemed to collide, until one jumped on the other, racing over it and grabbing the Egg.

* * *

"Ow ow ow ow ow ow…" The brunette grumbled as he made his way back into the tent.

"Are you alright?" Shouta nodded, wincing.

"The damned dragon's fang grazed my arm earlier." He replied, showing them the small gash.

"…You do know that the Peruvian Vipertooth is poisonous." Hitsugaya muttered, and by his companion's reaction, he didn't know.

"…Crap. I'll be back. Good luck you two!" He called out, running-presumably-towards the infirmary.

* * *

Hitsugaya stepped out into the ring, turquoise eyes scanning the arena.

Sitting proudly in the middle of the arena was a 30-foot Hebridean Black with rough dark scales and sharp ridges along its back. Its tail was tipped with an arrow-shaped spike. But what caught Hitsugaya's attention were the dragon's brilliant purple eyes: unusual, much like his own.

Hyourinmaru growled in Hitsugaya's mind; this dragon was territorial. As he stepped closer, the beast growled, without warning launching for him.

"I guess I'll have to show her who the stronger is." He murmured to himself, calmly watching the dragon launching itself towards him. The crowd, however, seemed to suck in its breath, seeming rather terrified.

"Move Toshiro! MOVE!" Both Hermione and Ron practically screamed, both stopping when the dragon itself was stopped-by a single blade.

Hitsugaya swung Hyourinmaru at the Dragon's nose, at which she replied with a screech, falling back and swiping at him instead with her claws. Hitsugaya flipped over them gracefully, landing softly on the tip of a boulder. Hyourinmaru morphing easily back into ring form, he held up a hand, palm out and flat, as if saying stop.

"Sokatsui." A white blast of energy burst from his hand, hitting the dragon in the chest. The creature screeched in pain, falling back.

"Let me pass." He ordered curtly, his icy demeanor beginning to show in the slight drop in temperature.

The dragon growled, but complied, and everyone watched in awe as Hitsugaya swiftly picked up the Golden Egg, and left the arena.

* * *

The Champions watched from the tent as Harry left the arena on a broomstick, the Hungarian Horntail not far behind.

"You think he's going to be alright?" Ichigo asked, eyebrows furrowed in concern.

"He'll be fine, I'm sure. And what about you Kurosaki? What was with that clowning around out there?" Shouta replied, smirking.

"Hey! I'm not the one who forgot about the Egg and started racing a dragon."

"At least I was winning."

"Both of you shut up." Hitsugaya growled. They did.

* * *

"Well? Open it!" Rangiku said for the fifth time, and-sighing-Kurosaki opened his. He almost dropped the egg in shock as the room was filled with a loud screeching, and after a few shouts of protest, he quickly shut it.

"Now what do we do?"

* * *

"The Yule Ball has been a tradition in the Triwizard Tournament since its inception." McGonagall began, and Shouta and Kurosaki stopped paying attention. They were brought back, however, as she said, "…is first, and foremost, a dance."

The students erupted in groaning and chattering, Kurosaki groaning, and Shouta just sputtering, "W-What?"

The foreigners shock was quickly replaced with amusement as Ron was invited to help demonstrate. "Everyone, come together!" McGonagall ordered, and the girls came up quickly, though the guys stayed seated. "Boys, stand up!" Neville was the first to stand, followed by Hitsugaya and Shouta, and soon the rest.

* * *

The Japanese students sat gathered in one of the courtyards, chatting.

"**So have you boys decided who you're going to ask to dance?**" Rukia asked smugly, her arms crossed as she leaned back comfortably.

"**I know Shouta and Captain already have several admirers.**" Rangiku snickered. Kurosaki and Shouta groaned, while Hitsugaya frowned sourly.

"**Shut up. How come we have to ask? Why can't the girls be the ones to ask?**" The carrot-top growled, practically pouting.

"**Because we're delicate flowers.**" Rukia replied, making a dramatic gesture that both girls burst out laughing at.

"**So? Who're you going to ask?**"

"…**I don't know…**" Shouta grumbled. "**You guys should go together though. Kurosaki with Kuchiki, and Hitsugaya with Matsumoto.**" He pointed out. "**It seems right, and that way, none of us has to have some kid goggling at us all night. As for me, I might just call someone from back home or something.**"

Matsumoto rolled her eyes. "**Don't be a baby! It's no good unless you ask someone **_**here**_**!**"

"**No way.**"

"**Yes way.**"

"**No.**"

"**Yes.**"

"**_No_.**"

"**_Yes_.**"

"…**You aren't going to give up, are you.**"

"**Nope~!**"


	29. The Yule Ball

**So many chapters... You guys get a shorter one for now, and I _need_ to go work on some other stories. Freaking god.**

* * *

"Hello, Captain~!" Rangiku, wearing a slightly revealing-though rather elegant-teal slipdress gown that hugged her body, with black heels and gloves. Her strawberry-blonde hair fell gracefully over her shoulders in ringlets, dangling earrings that matched her dress dancing in and out of the strands. She still had her usual cheerful expression though, as Hitsugaya joined her.

He himself wore a crisp tux, a crystal hanging on a silver chain from his neck.

"Where'd you get the pretty gemstone there?" Rangiku asked, raising an eyebrow at it. Hitsugaya shrugged.

"Izukai gave it to me." He replied, leading the way inside.

Rukia and Ichigo were already there, Ichigo dressed much the same as Hitsugaya, though his orange locks were a little more combed down than usual. Rukia wore a golden-orange gown, the front of the skirt reaching her knees, and the back of the skirt flowing down to the floor, so that when she moved, it flowed behind her breezily. With it she wore simple silver sandals with small heels, similar to the few sequins dotting the skirt, giving it an almost shimmering look. All in all, the look was rather simple.

"Where's Shouta?" Matsumoto asked as they joined the other two. Rukia and Ichigo shrugged.

"I haven't seen him today. He might not have a date." Rukia replied. "He better get here soon though. I heard that it's been tradition that the Champions be the first to dance." Kurosaki seemed rather disturbed by this fact himself.

"You were talking about me?" The quartet whirled around at the voice of the brunette, who stood tall behind them. Unlike the usual mop it was, his hair was neatly combed, and he wore an almost Victorian suit. Looking down, he grumbled, "It was from my dad's closet."

Behind him was a young woman who looked about Rangiku's age, with wavy scarlet-red hair, the ends dyed a golden-red. She had pale skin, a few freckles dotting her cheeks just under brilliant gray eyes. She wore a floor-length sky-blue dress, strapless with silver sequins decorating the top. She wore a simple silver bracelet and pendant. On her hand was a simple silver ring.

"Who's this?" Rukia asked, noticing the girl. The redhead smiled, waving as she introduced herself.

"I'm Brianne Ashton. You can call me Bri though." She replied, smiling.

"Bri's a good friend of mine who happened to be nearby. And Matsumoto did say someone who was 'here'."

* * *

The other students all filled the Hall, clapping as the Champions lead their dates through the passageway cleared for them. The Hall was magnificent, with the walls and floor a silvery white, as if covered in snow and frost. From the enchanted ceiling fell snowflakes, which seemed to disappear before they touched the ground. The Champions all spread out, ready to dance in the center of it all.

The music started, and they began, Harry and Kurosaki looking a bit clumsy in their actions, while Hitsugaya, Matsumoto and Shouta seemed like complete naturals. Professors and Headmasters began making their way onto the floor, joining in the dance. They too were soon followed by Neville-who had Ginny for a date-and were followed then by the rest.

That all soon ended, of course, as the dance floor took on a more modern dance, with a rock band on the stage. Professor Flitwick somehow finding his way above it all, being carried around by waving hands. "C'mon Ichigo!" Rukia called, laughing as she dragged the carrot-top into the chaos of people. Rangiku did the same with Hitsugaya, almost whooping with happiness.

Of course, the Captain found his way out of it, sitting next to Shouta, who sat within earshot of Harry and Ron and their dates. "Where's Ashton?" He asked, sitting.

"Out there, of course." He replied, gesturing towards the mess of dancers. "But this is like a belated birthday party for you, isn't it?" He snickered, and Hitsugaya rolled his eyes.

They looked over to where Harry and Ron sat; their dates looking rather bored and upset, while the boys stared in envy at the dancers. Or-for Ron-at Krum and Hermione. Harry's date was soon taken by a Durmstrang student, leading her to the dance floor.

The two foreign students watched in interest as a drama seemed to play out between Hermione and Ron, Harry being stuck in the middle. They left, and Shouta stood. "Might as well try dancing a bit, right? My sister always did say I need to loosen up a bit." He grinned, waving as he joined the fray. Hitsugaya, sighed, getting up as well.

"'Might as well', huh?"


End file.
